Past complex trauma can complicate attempts to establish new patterns and stabilize. For people exiting homelessness, particularly if they’ve experienced it for a long time, there are added challenges. They must learn to feel safe, enforce boundaries and be alone sometimes. It requires hard work, steady practice and kind reinforcement.

Consider this person’s experience. A few months back in a meeting with Anchorage case managers, an attendee shared that they’d experienced homelessness. After they stabilized, they became a case manager to help people who have similar experiences.

“Do you feel safer now in your home than you did day one?” the presenter asked.

“Yes.” They paused. “It took a while.”

“Sometimes it felt lonely, huh?”

The person nodded in agreement.

Now, this person works with people affiliated with our one of our supportive housing programs. Home for Good operates with a pay-for-success model and incorporates a recently emerged, two-pronged approach. It helps people remain housed and, as a result, is cost-effective.

Why? Supportive housing works. It:

• Combines case management services, assistance programs and social interaction.
• Offers this support to people as they settle into their homes.

It helps prevent people from cycling in and out of homelessness. They may continue battling complex challenges, like inconsistent income, medical and mental health issues and substance use disorders. However, they’re connected with social and community services via case managers and programs. They build safe, reliable networks.

Home for Good relies on this approach. We support people who are healing from trauma and stabilizing. Case management services, assistance programs and social interaction help people exiting homelessness take steps to establish new patterns. We’re grateful for all our staff and people in other organizations who are working toward making homelessness brief, rare, and never more than once.

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