Since 1972, Places for People (PfP) has been providing the supports and resources necessary for people with serious psychiatric disorders to live in housing of their choice. For the vast majority (80%) of our clients, this has meant living in independent apartments in the community with support provided by PfP. Certain principles have been at the core of our housing philosophy, foremost among those are:

• Housing is a right
• People have a right to choose where and how they live.
• Services necessary to assist people in living in housing of their choice should be flexible, individualized, comprehensive and for as long as needed and wanted.
• Assistance in learning skills of daily living should be done in the place where they will be used, not in special classes or programs.

To make safe and permanent housing a reality for people living in poverty, subsidies and resources must be available and easily accessible. These principles have provided the basis for programming around housing for the past three decades.As of the last full Department of Mental Health Outcomes, PfP has the highest rate of independent living of all providers in Missouri.

HOW HOUSING IMPACTS RECOVERY

• Housing fulfills physical needs by providing security and shelter from weather and climate.
• It fulfills psychological needs by providing a sense of personal space, stability and privacy.
• It fulfills social needs by providing a gathering area, communal space and integration into the community.
• For people with severe mental illness, having a home can be a space to live in dignity and move toward recovery.

Labels: Agency Philosophy, Housing First, Summer 2007