People experiencing homelessness have often experienced trauma, both while homeless and before becoming homelessness. Trauma associated with domestic abuse, mental illness, and other issues are often the cause of homelessness and are worsened by experiences of social isolation, stigmatization, and violence on the streets.
Housing First programs are designed to acknowledge trauma and provide supportive services that help people recover from those traumas including behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, legal services, case management, goal setting, and independent living skills.