Housing First

Three-Year Evaluation of Two Pilot Projects "Housing First" in Berlin

Project duration: 01/10/2018 - 30/09/2021

Principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Susanne Gerull

Partners:

Neue Chance Berlin gGmbH / Berliner Stadtmission (Project: Housing First Berlin)
Sozialdienst Katholischer Frauen e.V. Berlin (Housing First for women Berlin)

Abstract:
Since October 1, 2018, two model projects "Housing First" are funded by the Senate Department for Integration, Labor and Social Affairs. ASH Berlin has been given the task to evaluate the projects. Housing First is an innovative approach, developed in the USA, to provide homeless people with suitable housing. Homeless people get a regular rent contract. In addition, an unconditional outreach support is offered. This can, but clearly does not have to be accepted by users. The evaluation aims to examine the effectiveness of the Housing First concept. Therefore, the specific project goals will be analyzed regarding the target achievement. The goals of the projects are the unconditional provision of housing for the project participants, the permanent preservation of this living space and the empowerment of users to strengthen their personal resources. The overall question is if the (selected) project goals will be achieved and housing first is effective as a new approach in Berlin. The evaluation is carried out with quantitative and qualitative tools of social analysis. Both, the support side (management and staff) and the users will be interviewed in order to include both (possibly different) perspectives on the model projects. This happens in a continiously participative process, i.e. in coordination between the projects and the evaluator.

Funding: Senate Department for Integration, Labor, and Social Affairs (SenIAS)

Keywords: Housing First, Homelessness, Cases in urgent Need of Housing