A joint effort from the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Housing, and Hogar de Cristo Foundation, Chile.

Housing First concept, is exactly that, provide immediate access for homeless to permanent housing with no housing readiness requirements before it does anything else. Its fundamental principle is that people are better able to go ahead with their lives if they are first housed and their essential rights are respected. Once the above factors are stabilized, then supports can be provided among others to improve their health, therapies, education, employment, or even increase scarce income, etc. In other words, it is a concept based on that all people deserve adequate housing as an essential right and first and foremost to improving anything else.

Housing First did start in the United States in the ’80s to bring solutions for homeless people and their families, and then it was spread out throughout the U.S to become a government policy, showing during decades concrete evidence and benefits not simply focused on meeting basic homeless needs, but on supporting their recovery to reinsert into society.

This program in Chile emphasizes the rights and dignity of people, providing housing and support for 36 months to take the first steps towards autonomy and independence. Currently, the pilot program has been implemented in three Regions of Chile, with over 161 people admitted to 77 homes. Around 60% of the participants have rebuilt their family ties and 50% of them began to have ties with their children.

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