Supportive Housing

Supportive housing is a successful, cost-effective combination of affordable housing with services that helps people live more stable, productive lives.  Supportive housing works well for people who face the most complex challenges—individuals and families who are not only homeless, but who also have very low incomes and serious, persistent issues that may include substance use, mental illness, and HIV/AIDS. Click here to read CSH's definition of supportive housing.

Some Facts about Supportive Housing and Homelessness:

No one wants to be homeless.
Supportive housing offers people a way out of a situation that no one wants to be in: having no stable place to live. In supportive housing, people can live with stability, autonomy, and dignity.

Supportive housing helps people live more stable and productive lives.
Supportive housing is proven to help people who are persistently homeless find stability in a home of their own. Supportive housing's combination of permanent, affordable housing and available services works well for people who face the most complex challenges-people who are not only homeless, but who also have very low incomes and serious, persistent issues that may include substance use, mental illness, and HIV/AIDS.

Supportive housing is permanent housing.
People who live in supportive housing sign leases and pay rent, just like their neighbors. Supportive housing and shelters aren't the same thing, but they complement each other. Shelters work well for what they're designed for-emergencies and short-term situations, not as long-term housing.

Supportive housing is cost-effective.
It costs essentially the same amount of money to house someone in stable, supportive housing as it does to keep that person homeless and stuck in the revolving door of high-cost crisis care and emergency housing. CSH's cost studies prove that we can either waste money keeping people homeless or spend those dollars on a long-term solution that produces positive results for people and their communities.

For more information:
Browse this section of our website to learn more about how supportive housing works to end homelessness and how supportive housing saves money and benefits communities.

Click here to view our Toolkit for Ending Long-Term Homelessness, which includes photo tours and profies of supportive housing projects and initiatives.