Program Featured in SAMHSA Video Series Yields $4 Million in Housing First-Cost Savings

A study on Housing First found a $4 million decrease in the use of crisis intervention services over the course of 12 months. The study, Health Care and Public Service Use and Costs Before and After Provision of Housing for Chronically Homeless Persons With Severe Alcohol Problems, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association earlier this month (JAMA, 301(13):1349 – 1357). The research took place at 1811 Eastlake, a Housing First program within Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC).

DESC was also a featured program in SAMHSA’s recent DVD series, Transformation Through Partnerships: Systems Change To End Chronic Homelessness. The series presents the real-world stories of two cities as they implement strategic planning to coordinate services and collaborate with other organizations. One of the three videos in the series chronicles DESC’s efforts to end chronic homelessness. Included in the DVD package are guides for using the videos as planning tools in communities.