In a blog post in The Huffington Post, “In San Francisco and Beyond, Homeless Crisis Should Not Derail Progress on Mental Illness,” Richard Cho and Dr. Fred Oster of The Council Of State Governments Justice Center explore connections between homelessness, mental illness and incarceration and advocate for Housing First:
“The solution to chronic homelessness, and part of the solution to the overrepresentation of people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders in jails, is supportive housing using a Housing First approach. Study after study has shown that for people with behavioral health disorders who are both homeless and involved in the criminal justice system, this intervention results in long-term housing stability, improved health and behavioral health outcomes, and reduces the use of crisis services, emergency rooms, hospitals, and jails.”