Home is a refuge; we know this is true. It's essential for our comfort, safety, health, and peace of mind. But for many, home has been long out of reach. Boston's Housing First Initiative is ending this tragedy for people who've struggled for years on the streets and in shelters.

People experiencing homelessness have myriad vulnerabilities. They suffer complex health and mental health disabilities that are essentially impossible to address amidst the chaos of homelessness. They are also often victims of crime, their safety constantly at risk.

Housing First ends this for our community's most long-term homeless by placing people in housing first - immediately improving their quality of life.

Once housed, people are connected with services and begin to rebuild their lives. They establish routines, build relationships with friends, family, and community, and move on to more independent living; decreasing their need for services over time.

Housing First saves lives and saves money. When a person is housed rather than living on the streets or in shelters, it saves our community about $9,500 per person/year in health care and public safety alone: providing a dignified and cost-effective solution to homelessness.

In five years, Boston's Housing First Initiative has helped 645 long-term homeless people move beyond homelessness into dignified permanent homes of their. And the best news is,over 90% 

have not returned to the streets or shelters.

Friends Housing First Start-up Fund supports crucial program services like housing placement and case management. And it helps people overcome critical initial barriers to housing, like funds for security deposits and first month's rent, so they can move immediately into their own homes - many for the first time in their lives.

Our Housewarming Registry also offers you the opportunity to provide essential household items that can help turn someone's empty new apartment into a warm, welcoming home.

But there's more to do. Especially with the abrupt closing of Boston's Long Island Bridge, we can and must do more to end homelessness for people living on our streets and cycling in and out of shelters - many for years and even decades.

This coming year, we hope to help over 150 more people move from the streets and shelters into homes of their own. They'll all need a little help to get started.