Beyond Housing: At Home/Chez Soi Early Findings Reports

These two significant reports showcase what we have learned so far about the Housing First approach, one of the recommendations for action featured in Changing Directions, Changing Lives: The Mental Health Strategy for Canada. As we continue to provide housing and services for nearly one thousand homeless people living with mental health issues in five cities across Canada, we are gathering significant evidence about what works and what does not.

Through our Interim Report, you will learn more about housing outcomes, service use and costing. You will find evidence for the following main findings:

Housing First improves the lives of those who are homeless and have a mental illness
Housing First makes better use of public dollars, especially for those who are high service users
Housing First can be implemented across Canada
A cross ministry approach that combines health, housing, social services with non profit and private sector partners is required to solve chronic homelessness.
Solving chronic homelessness can create dramatic improvements for Canadian communities

Through our Early Findings Vol. 3 report, you will learn more about some of the qualitative findings related to how the lives of project participants have changed in key areas such as: