Spending time in the field

Assertive Community Treatment and Housing First. I worked for Pathways to Housing in New York for a period of 3 months, in the year 2004. I sat at the table of the Brooklyn Team.

Listening in gaze

In wonder, in sheer admiration for this team, for it’s members. “We spend 80% of our time in the field”. In respect for Sam Tsemberis, who invented Housing First. I hope they are all doing well.

After moving to Amsterdam, a week ago, I discovered all these dvd’s that I collected over the last 40 years again and I ‘stumbled’ into this video. ‘ACT in Motion’.

When in New York

Sitting at their table, it took me a couple of days to get used to the pace, language and speed of the morning meetings, but once ‘settled’, I could not wait to get out into the city and start visiting participants in their new homes.

I traveled back to Amsterdam in 2004

As a different person, a different social worker, a different father, a different friend. Housing First is not only giving away homes to homeless people: it’s a different attitude towards life and people.

Check this video

Times have changed? Talking about homelessness, we can’t say for the better. The numbers are rising again. Learn from this video, from the people participating in it. And practice Housing First.

It’s cheaper, it’s the clever thing to do. It’s that simple.

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