Implementing Housing First in Brazil: A National Survey of Existing Programs

Housing First provides immediate, permanent, supportive housing with consumer choice, harm reduction, and separation of housing and services. This descriptive, cross-sectional study surveyed five Housing First programs that operate in Brazil and represent all known initiatives during data collection. Although programs adhered to Housing First's core principles, substantial variation existed across sites in governance, funding, staffing, and public service integration. Key implementation barriers included food insecurity and neighborhood safety concerns. National policy momentum provides a pathway for coordinated scale-up; however, funding mechanisms, integration with local services, and monitoring structures remain underdeveloped. Additionally, operational guidance was lacking.