Housing First is defined by a set of 8 principles. These principles inform how we deliver Housing First support, design high-fidelity Housing First programs, and identify the structural challenges and opportunities within our homelessness (and human services) system.
To learn more, please visit the Homelessness Australia website to download the Housing First principles and other resources created by Australian Housing First trainers.
We use the terms ‘Housing First’ and ‘Housing Led’ to differentiate programs based on how closely they align to the 8 Housing First principles. This is important to ensure sovereignty of the Housing First evidence base. A program with low fidelity to the principles is distinguished as ‘Housing Led’ or ‘Housing First informed’, as opposed to a ‘Housing First’ program.
Fidelity slip and program drift is inevitable. It provides an opportunity to adapt initiatives to localised contexts and specific needs of target cohorts. However, fidelity to key principles and components of Housing First is important to ensure initiatives align with the factors that contribute to success.
Many mainstream homelessness workers and services are interested in aligning practice with Housing First principles, however they are constrained by the system in which we work as it is not currently conducive to Housing First practice and programs. Part of the ongoing Housing First journey is to investigate ways to increase practice and program fidelity to Housing First principles, while simultaneously undertaking systems change work to respond to the structural barriers that reduce Housing First fidelity.
