Housing First

A collaborative project through United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area to connect individuals and families who are homeless—or those who are immediately at risk of becoming homeless—to housing and other necessary resources.

WHAT IS HOUSING FIRST?

Housing First is a community-wide coordinated entry system that aims to connect individuals and families who are homeless—or those who are immediately at risk of becoming homeless—to housing and other necessary resources.

The goal is to rapidly respond to people experiencing homelessness by working together as a community to coordinate housing and service options to ensure homelessness remains rare, brief and non-recurring in the Greater Helena Area.

Housing First will assist with housing individuals and families experiencing homelessness as soon as possible after accessing the Greater Helena Area Housing First system.

our vision:

To connect the most vulnerable people to the most appropriate housing options,
To place people efficiently into housing programs,
To reduce homelessness by offering prevention and diversion,
To improve data collection and quality on homelessness,
To provide information on what assistance is most needed by at-risk populations.

access points:

Individuals and families experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence should be referred to these organizations. Staff of these organizations are trained to use triage and diversion techniques and complete a Housing First assessment, if applicable.

If a Housing First assessment is needed, the organization will complete one and immediately refer to an appropriate emergency shelter. After the Housing First assessment, the individual or family may be referred to the most appropriate housing and other community resources for their needs.