Finding affordable housing for average Wisconsin residents can be difficult; for ex-offenders, it’s even harder.

As the name implies, “housing first” is an approach to homeless assistance that focuses on providing permanent housing solutions to people without preconditions or requirements that mandate a person graduate through a series of service programs or prove “housing readiness” before they can access housing. The model reverses more traditional programming in that it views the client’s basic needs—such as food and a place to live—as paramount to addressing peripheral challenges such as substance abuse or finding a job.