As the face of homelessness continues to evolve from disheveled men sitting on street corners to entire families sleeping in cars; also evolving are the ways in which homeless services programs and systems are realigning delivery models aimed at housing the homeless more quickly, efficiently and effectively.
Included in this realignment is the emerging “harm reduction” philosophy which focuses on the need for housing, rather than the reasons for homelessness (i.e. substance abuse, mental illness, etc.). Too, it emphasizes the concept of screening homeless persons into programs, rather than screening them out.
While it is a reasonable assumption that social service practitioners would readily espouse these “housing first” philosophies, the challenge is shifting traditional mindsets which perpetuate the assumption that all homeless families and individuals must be made “housing ready” by “successful” participation in a myriad of interim supportive services.
While it is true that some would indeed benefit from such services, is it fair or even ethical to assume that one-size-fits-all?
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