Boulder County Housing First (BCHF) is a new approach to addressing chronic homelessness in Boulder County.  This program acknowledges that current homeless programs are effective for some people but do not work for everyone.  In particular, traditional homeless programs do not typically work for the most chronically homeless individuals who live on the streets.  Historically, these individuals have very high incidences of mental illness, addictions, and physical disabilities.  The housing first concept is to provide permanent housing, with intensive case management, for these individuals.  Once these individuals have stable housing, they can then begin to work on the other hurdles in their lives.

The program serves chronically homeless individuals in Boulder County who have a serious mental illness, substance abuse disorders, co-occurring disorders or chronic physical disability.  Potential clients for this project are identified by agencies and programs that serve the homeless in Boulder County.  These individuals, who make up roughly 10 to 20% of the total homeless population, have documented histories of chronic homelessness in our community and are often unable to attain stability or self-sufficiency through other more traditional programs offered in our community.  Not only do these individuals live in unacceptable conditions, they also cost the community a great deal of money because of their frequent use of numerous community resources, including hospitals, jails and social service agencies.

The unique methodology of the program is premised on the belief that vulnerable and at-risk homeless individuals are more responsive to interventions and social services support after they are in their own housing, rather than while living in temporary/transitional facilities or housing programs.  With permanent housing, these individuals can begin to regain the self-confidence and control over their lives they lost when they became homeless.