We start by housing people directly from the streets, without precondition.  

Then we address their underlying issues around mental health, addiction, medical care, income, and education to help integrate and welcome them back into our community.

Rain City Housing First

FOUNDER, DR. SAM TSEMBERIS

Dr. Sam 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. Dr. Tsemberis is also on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. He is currently participating in national studies of homelessness, mental illness, and addiction, and has published numerous articles and book chapters on these topics, including the Housing First Manual (Hazelden Publishing, updated in 2015). Dr. Tsemberis is continuously engaging with communities and agencies considering Pathways' model nationally and around the world.   

The Pathways Housing First Institute led by Dr. Tsemberis is the premier source for training provided by the developers of the Housing First model.  The Institute faculty includes experts in program operations, evaluation, and dissemination.  

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