The Safer Nanaimo Committee and the Nanaimo Working Group on Homelessness have formally adopted the “Housing First” model of addressing homelessness and acknowledge that a “harm reduction” philosophy and related service model need to be incorporated into the overall housing and service delivery framework targeting the City’s most vulnerable. 

Across Canada and the US, there has been increasing support for housing first and harm reduction approaches to addressing the problem of homelessness. Housing first approaches support the idea that individuals are better able to pursue their personal goals towards employment, treatment, health and wellbeing when they are in stable housing. Harm reduction or “low demand” approaches combined with supportive housing have also been reported to be effective at addressing the needs of homeless people with substance use issues. 

This brief document reviews the concepts of housing first and harm reduction and highlights the strategies found to be effective towards resolving the problems of homelessness and improving the quality of life for persons with mental health and addictions issues.