Housing First: Learn Why It Works to End Homelessness

On August 17, the City of Greeley’s Housing and Homeless Solutions Department held its second community update on housing and homelessness. The event was titled Housing First: Why This Works to End Homelessness. Dr. Sam Tsemberis presented the Housing First model, which he created. Many places, including Greeley, use this program to help people who are homeless and struggling with mental health issues and addiction. Housing First gives them a place to live immediately and support that focuses on their needs.

In addition to the workshop, Dr. Tsemberis met with Greeley’s Housing and Homeless Solutions Foundations Team. He also held roundtable discussions with service providers and leadership from local businesses and real estate.

Watch the full presentation below.

About the Presenter

Dr. Tsemberis, Ph.D., is a clinical-community psychologist who originated the “Housing First” model, an evidence based program with a well-documented record for effectively ending homelessness for individuals diagnosed with mental illness and addiction. Housing First programs are successfully implemented across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Dr. Tsemberis has decades of experience in operations, training, and research and currently serves as CEO of the Pathways Housing First Institute, faculty at UCLA Department fo Psychiatry, and Executive Director of the UCLA-VA Center of Excellence for Veterans Homelessness and Recovery. He has published extensively on topics of mental health, addiction, and homelessness and received broad recognition for his work from the American Psychiatric and American Psychological Associations, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and others.