Housing First as an Alternative to Criminalization:
Preliminary Findings from Interviews with Unhoused and Formerly Unhoused People in Miami-Dade County
Federal funding to the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust has supported more housing vouchers that subsidize rents, increase street outreach and long-term case management, and increase technical assistance to address unsheltered homelessness. It enabled social service providers to implement a housing-first approach that recognizes housing as a human right and emphasizes rapid placement in housing and connection with supportive services. This contrasts with approaches that focus on “housing readiness” and rely on long shelter stays due to a scarcity of housing. Drawing on interviews with 20 individuals who have experienced unsheltered homelessness in Miami-Dade County, this report compares experiences between the two approaches. The findings call for more investment in the housing-first approach and less investment in policies that advance criminalization and co
