Ayesha Roscoe

After a break, reporter Will James joins me to talk about the future of Housing First and whether it's time for a course correction and how the U.S. handles one of its most persistent problems. We're back with the Sunday story. I'm here with Will James, a reporter and producer for KUOW in Seattle.

He recently published an audio documentary about the housing first approach to homelessness, its history and its future. Will, welcome to the podcast.

He recently published an audio documentary about the housing first approach to homelessness, its history and its future. Will, welcome to the podcast.

He recently published an audio documentary about the housing first approach to homelessness, its history and its future. Will, welcome to the podcast.

So, Will, Housing First has been around for 30 years, and it's been the U.S. government's central strategy for fighting homelessness for at least a decade now, depending on when you start counting. Help us to understand the backlash to this philosophy. Like, where is it coming from?

So, Will, Housing First has been around for 30 years, and it's been the U.S. government's central strategy for fighting homelessness for at least a decade now, depending on when you start counting. Help us to understand the backlash to this philosophy. Like, where is it coming from?

So, Will, Housing First has been around for 30 years, and it's been the U.S. government's central strategy for fighting homelessness for at least a decade now, depending on when you start counting. Help us to understand the backlash to this philosophy. Like, where is it coming from?

That is very interesting because you are talking to people who are dealing with this firsthand and they are fueling some of these doubts about housing first. Like what what are they seeing that's causing their concerns?

That is very interesting because you are talking to people who are dealing with this firsthand and they are fueling some of these doubts about housing first. Like what what are they seeing that's causing their concerns?

That is very interesting because you are talking to people who are dealing with this firsthand and they are fueling some of these doubts about housing first. Like what what are they seeing that's causing their concerns?

And you talked to some tenants who had experiences like this for your audio documentary.

And you talked to some tenants who had experiences like this for your audio documentary.

And you talked to some tenants who had experiences like this for your audio documentary.

So conditions were so bad in the building that Michelle actually felt safer staying in a tent out on the street?

So conditions were so bad in the building that Michelle actually felt safer staying in a tent out on the street?

So conditions were so bad in the building that Michelle actually felt safer staying in a tent out on the street?

And vocal critics of Housing First, like the vice president, J.D. Vance, have picked up on these anecdotes, right, in their efforts to dismantle these programs. But what do they want instead?

And vocal critics of Housing First, like the vice president, J.D. Vance, have picked up on these anecdotes, right, in their efforts to dismantle these programs. But what do they want instead?

And vocal critics of Housing First, like the vice president, J.D. Vance, have picked up on these anecdotes, right, in their efforts to dismantle these programs. But what do they want instead?

OK, so so housing first was an alternative to treatment first. Yeah. So what were the problems with this reward and punishment based system that, you know, housing first emerged to address?