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References


Bezzi, C. (2001) Il disegno della ricerca valutativa [Evaluative Research Design]. (Milano: FrancoAngeli).

Istat (2011) Indagine nazionale sulle condizioni delle Persone Senza Dimora [National Research on the Conditions of Homeless People] available on www.istat.it, www.fiopsd.org

Istat (2014) Le persone senza dimora [Homeless People] (Follow up), available on www.istat.it, www.fiopsd.org

Ornelas, J. (2013) Casas Primeiro, Lisboa. Final Report for Housing First Europe Project (Lisbon).

Padgett, D.K. (2011) Qualitative and Mixed Methods in Public Health (New York: Sage).

Pleace, N. and Bretherton, J. (2013) The Case for Housing First in the European Union: A Critical Evaluation of Concerns about Effectiveness, European Journal of Homelessness 7(2) pp.21-41.

Plecae, N., Baptista, I. Bejaminsen, L. and Busch-Geertsema, V. (2013) The Costs of Homelessness in Europe: An Assessment of the Current Evidence Base (Brussels: FEANTSA).

Stefancic A., Tsemberis, S., Messeri, P. Drake, R. and Goering, P. (2013) The Pathways Housing First Fidelity Scale for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities, American Journals of Psychiatric Rehabilitation 16(4) pp. 240-261.

Tsemberis, S. (2010) Housing First: The Pathways Model to End Homelessness for People with Mental Illness and Addiction (Hazelden: Minnesota).



Photographs originally published in the book “Housing First” © fio.PSD.

Housing First: Revolutionizing Services for Homeless People in Italy

The Housing First (HF) approach originated in the United States during the 1990s within mental health services, inspired by the model for discharging patients from psychiatric hospitals called ‘Supported Housing’. Based on gaining immediate access to independent apartments with support from a team of health workers for chronically homeless people and groups assessed as at risk of homelessness, it spread from the Pathways to Housing model founded by psychologist Sam Tsemberis in New York in 1992. HF introduces some changes compared to other models. It reverses the institutional-clinical approach from both a health and a welfare perspective. The key element is the direct transition from the street to a home. Very quickly, therefore, HF has also proven an effective and potentially revolutionary intervention to address homelessness in different contexts, including in England, France, Finland, Portugal, Spain and other countries. In Italy, as we argue in the following pages, it has the potential to provide a new direction for homelessness policies in a context in which chronic homelessness has increased: the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) reveals that there are 50,724 homeless people (roofless and houseless people) in Italy (up 3,071 from 2011), and that 21.4% of those have lived on the street from more than four years (ISTAT, 2014). Since 2011, supply – the number of beds and meals provided by 768 organisations – has increased by 15%, despite a more or less stable number of homeless people. This means that the same person is using the same services more and more times in the same week (three times more for beds and five times more for meals in one week), with severe consequences for the welfare system and costs to local authorities, as well as for living conditions.

The Housing First (HF) approach originated in the United States during the 1990s within mental health services, inspired by the model for discharging patients from psychiatric hospitals called ‘Supported Housing’. Based on gaining immediate access to independent apartments with support from a team of health workers for chronically homeless people and groups assessed as at risk of homelessness, it spread from the Pathways to Housing model founded by psychologist Sam Tsemberis in New York in 1992. HF introduces some changes compared to other models. It reverses the institutional-clinical approach from both a health and a welfare perspective. The key element is the direct transition from the street to a home. Very quickly, therefore, HF has also proven an effective and potentially revolutionary intervention to address homelessness in different contexts, including in England, France, Finland, Portugal, Spain and other countries. In Italy, as we argue in the following pages, it has the potential to provide a new direction for homelessness policies in a context in which chronic homelessness has increased: the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) reveals that there are 50,724 homeless people (roofless and houseless people) in Italy (up 3,071 from 2011), and that 21.4% of those have lived on the street from more than four years (ISTAT, 2014). Since 2011, supply – the number of beds and meals provided by 768 organisations – has increased by 15%, despite a more or less stable number of homeless people. This means that the same person is using the same services more and more times in the same week (three times more for beds and five times more for meals in one week), with severe consequences for the welfare system and costs to local authorities, as well as for living conditions.

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urbanNext (June 2, 2023) Housing First: Revolutionizing Services for Homeless People in Italy. Retrieved from https://urbannext.net/housing-first/.
Housing First: Revolutionizing Services for Homeless People in Italy.” urbanNext – June 2, 2023, https://urbannext.net/housing-first/
urbanNext March 5, 2019 Housing First: Revolutionizing Services for Homeless People in Italy., viewed June 2, 2023,<https://urbannext.net/housing-first/>
urbanNext – Housing First: Revolutionizing Services for Homeless People in Italy. [Internet]. [Accessed June 2, 2023]. Available from: https://urbannext.net/housing-first/
Housing First: Revolutionizing Services for Homeless People in Italy.” urbanNext – Accessed June 2, 2023. https://urbannext.net/housing-first/
Housing First: Revolutionizing Services for Homeless People in Italy.” urbanNext [Online]. Available: https://urbannext.net/housing-first/. [Accessed: June 2, 2023]

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