The Housing First Partners Conference (HFPC) is co-presented by DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) and Pathways Housing First Institute. It was launched in 2012 as a biennial conference to further the conversation among practitioners, researchers, advocates, and people with lived experience about Housing First as a proven model for ending homelessness for those with chronic health conditions and long stints of street homelessness. Since then, Housing First has been implemented across many elements of the crisis response and homeless systems and is being successfully applied in diverse interventions and as an overall community approach to addressing homelessness. Housing First programs serve communities across the globe, with new adaptations to the model that effectively address the needs of diverse populations to end homelessness and build back their lives.    

HFPC is held in different cities every other year since 2012. The first HFPC in 2012 was held in New Orleans; in Chicago, IL in 2014; in Los Angeles, CA in 2016; and in Denver, CO in 2018. We were so excited for HFPC 2020 in Seattle, WA. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, we postponed HFPC 2020 and presented a virtual conference in 2021. The 2021 virtual conference was an overwhelming success, attracting over 1300 attendees.

We returned to a carefully planned, in-person conference in April 2022 in Seattle, WA. HFPC 2022 was another tremendous success and provided an opportunity for nearly 1,200 attendees to reconnect, meet, learn, collaborate, exchange ideas, as well as reenergize and recommit to addressing homelessness through Housing First.

We are so excited for HFPC 2024 next Spring! This convening is again an opportunity for those who are passionate about Housing First, Harm Reduction, and ending homelessness to meet, reconnect, exchange ideas, and debate how best to implement, operate, improve, expand, sustain, and evaluate Housing First.

It is the successes of Housing First, and the continued need for it, that we hope will drive your enthusiasm, participation and full engagement at HFPC 2024 conference. We look forward to your participation!

For over 40 years, DESC has been offering innovative, effective, and meaningful solutions to homelessness, including operating the lowest barrier programs. It is the Pacific Northwest’s most comprehensive provider of survival and crisis services, behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment, employment support, and permanent supportive housing for adults with significant disabling conditions and long histories of homelessness. All DESC services are predicated on the concept of Housing First and the simple premise that clinical and social stabilization occur faster and are more enduring when the chaos of homelessness is eliminated from someone’s life. A safe and healthy place to live should be the first treatment goal. Through this model, DESC has helped thousands improve their housing stability and health status, and has demonstrated significant systems cost avoidance.

DESC believes that sharing information with its peers results in better services, greater housing success and and a more rapid end to homelessness nationwide. Its consultation and technical assistance curriculum is designed to help organizations and communities achieve the high level of success that characterize DESC programs. It is based on specific Housing First principles and evidence based approaches to ending homelessness. 

desc.org

Dr. Sam Tsemberis founded Pathways to Housing in New York City in 1992 based on the belief that housing is a human right.

At Pathways, Tsemberis developed the consumer-driven evidence-based Housing First model that provides immediate access to permanent supportive housing to individuals who are homeless and who have mental health and addiction problems. 

Dr. Tsemberis leads Pathways Housing First, which trains direct service organizations, conducts research projects, and influences policy related to Housing First.

As the creators of the evidence-based Housing First model, Pathways comprehensive Training Institute provides agencies and communities with the training and technical assistance necessary to implement or to transition to Housing First. Our training staff has years of direct clinical experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness. Pathways Housing First help communities and agencies plan, implement, and sustain the Housing First model. Following an initial needs-assessment consultation, our expert faculty individualizes trainings and consulting to match agency/community needs.

pathwayshousingfirst.org