Housing First (HF) is an innovative work methodology in the field of social services for homeless people. The basic characteristic of this model is that the care of homeless people has housing as it's starting point. From there, and once the person is housed and thus part of a community, work can begin on other related aspects, always adapted to their particular situation: health promotion, drug addiction care, training and job search, or fostering social and family networks, among others.
Scientific evidence on HF programs applied in the United States, Canada and Europe reveals that HF has very high success rates. These models manage to get an average of 8 out of 10 people off the streets and keep them there over time.
In Spain, there are some very successful applications of the Housing First model. The most notable example is the one carried out by the RAIS Foundation in municipalities such as Barcelona and Malaga.
Now in Cantabria, projects like this one are beginning, developed by the Nueva Vida Association, which places housing at the centre of social care for homeless people.