Why Permanent Supportive Housing?

It Just Works!

According to many studies, Permanent Supportive Housing is an extremely effective and beneficial program – not only to the people it immediately serves, but to the broader community.

Benefits to the Clients

Permanent Supportive Housing provides innumerable benefits to the people served by it.  According to the Corporation for Supportive Housing:

“[S]upportive housing has positive effects on housing stability, employment, mental and physical health, and school attendance. People in supportive housing live more stable and productive lives.”

Furthermore, the N/NW Suburban Task Force on Supportive Housing For Individuals With Mental Illness stated the following:

In permanent supportive housing the supports are wrapped around each resident in the housing unit in an individual recovery action plan which provides the type and frequency of therapeutic services best suited to person’s illness and recovery.

The fact that a person has a roof over his head and his name on a lease, reduces stress, and stress reduction helps with recovery.

It is proven over and over again in numerous studies that persons who participate in Permanent Supportive Housing programs have far higher success rates than those who are not.

Benefits to the Community

Homelessness can be very expensive.  It may not seem like it, but the costs to the community to support someone who is living on the streets or in shelter is high.  Emergency services, hospitalizations, police interactions – all have not only real costs, but opportunity costs as well.  Numerous studies demonstrate that placing a person in Permanent Supportive Housing program will save the community money by reducing those other costs.

Another statement from the Corporation for Supportive Housing:

Cost studies in six different states and cities found that supportive housing results in tenants’ decreased use of shelters, hospitals, emergency rooms, jails and prisons.

Further evidence shows that supportive housing benefits communities by improving the safety of neighborhoods, beautifying city blocks with new or rehabilitated properties, and increasing or stabilizing property values over time.

• Read more on the CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing) website: Link