Housing First model arrives to Rome thanks to PsyPlus

Housing Plus! is the project through which PsyPlus is promoting in Rome the international Housing First model, capable of overturning the traditional welfare-based approach: no longer “step-by-step” programs that consider access to housing as a final “reward” in a rehabilitation process, but housing as the starting point from which to rebuild an autonomous and dignified life.

Unlike the still-predominant approach based on temporary and fragmented responses - which often lead to people abandoning shelters and the social service network- Housing First is the model that aims to put an end to homelessness for people with multifactorial distress and complex needs, who require support “for as long as necessary” to be able to leave life on the streets behind.

To achieve this, the Association created a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, psychotherapists, sociologists, social workers, and educators with extensive experience in social marginalization, committed to networking with institutions, health and social services, and local organizations. The goal is to guarantee not just housing, but also psychological support, assistance in accessing rights, and the rebuilding of interpersonal bonds, thereby promoting the well-being and social inclusion of the people involved.

Each person entering the project signs a housing agreement in which they commit to respecting rules of good coexistence, contributing financially to household expenses, and meeting regularly with their assigned caseworker: a concrete and lasting path toward social inclusion.

Interview with Giulio Ciucci, sociologist and Head of the Social Inclusion Area at PsyPlus

We wanted to meet with the creator and project manager, Giulio Ciucci, founder of the Association’s Social Inclusion Area, to share its activities, mission, and goals.

“I founded the Social Inclusion Area five years ago together with other founding members of the Association, with the goal of bringing to Rome an innovative model to tackle the severe marginalization of unhoused adults. It’s a subject very close to my heart: I actually started as a street worker and have worked for years in emergency social intervention services for homeless people. The more I worked, the more I realized the current model was ineffective in providing concrete solutions for people ending up on the streets. That’s where the idea came to launch the Housing Plus! pilot project.”

Since 2023, the Association has launched two projects in Rome implementing the Housing First model.

The first is Housing Plus!, funded by Enel Cuore and the Bank of Italy, launched in September 2023, and today it manages 5 homes with 9 beneficiaries, 8 of whom are cohabiting.

The second, launched in late December 2024 in partnership with Caritas Roma, is the first publicly funded Housing First project in Rome, financed by Municipio II, and currently includes 6 beneficiaries in 2 homes provided by Caritas.

The Principles of the Housing First Model

“Housing First is based on eight key principles. Among these, I’d like to highlight two. The first is the separation between entering housing and treatment: you move into housing first, and only then do you start working with the person to promote well-being, without coercion and preserving full rights of choice and control. This allows us to start from a safe foundation and to reach everyone, without excluding anyone.

The second principle is time: people receive support, even minimal, for as long as they need it, without imposing deadlines. If someone feels supported, they can envision a future for themselves and are far less likely to relapse into distress or vulnerability.”

Housing Plus! A Home of One’s Own

The primary goal of Housing Plus! is to spread this innovative and effective model for fighting homelessness in Rome, working in synergy with institutions, health and social services, and other local associations.

“To implement this pilot project, we built a team of professionals specializing in mental health, particularly within contexts of adult marginalization. After significant advocacy work in the area, we secured our first funding from private and public institutions. That was not a given, especially considering the project’s scale, aimed at a limited number of people. Clearly, its innovative value was recognized, aiming to become a model that changes intervention strategies at their root, the way responses are provided.”

The Housing Plus! project is aimed at people who have been homeless for many years, with mental health issues, pathological addictions, and prison experiences.

“I want to stress that no one chooses to live on the street; people end up there because they have suffered significant trauma and face profound relational poverty, often cultural poverty as well, which makes it even harder for them to find resources, people, and networks to rely on in times of difficulty and need.”

The Housing First Model in Italy

“In Italy, the first Housing First experiments go back about 10 years. Among the most successful are those in Bologna and Turin, where public institutions quickly showed interest and got involved, establishing strong interdepartmental collaboration across multiple levels, and excellent synergy between public bodies and third-sector organizations. Housing First is an evidence-based model, and experiences show its effectiveness, with success rates between 80% and 95% in terms of housing stability, compared to the very low—and often unmeasurable—rates of the current model.”

The model also proves more efficient in terms of costs: there is a reduction both in direct management expenses and in indirect costs that weigh on healthcare, judicial, and social systems.

“We see it in our project in Rome as well: in the vast majority of cases, people who move into housing use social assistance services less, and healthcare services even less, thus reducing the burden on those systems—because they are empowered to better take care of themselves and access rights that were otherwise out of reach.”

Rome: Collaboration with Local Government

“From the very beginning, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Municipio III of Rome, and our collaboration with them is still very strong and productive. Moreover, in collaboration with the Roma Solidarietà cooperative of Caritas Roma and with Municipio II, we launched the second Housing First project. We notice great interest from local representatives in this model, whose effectiveness they recognize. We are in constant dialogue with local administrations: our role is to act as agents of systemic change, because we believe that adult marginalization can only be addressed if the entire system functions—from healthcare to housing policies.”

However, the major challenge remains finding available housing, the most complex and time-consuming part.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to invite homeowners to make their apartments available for projects like this, if they have the possibility. We are able to provide solid guarantees: the lease agreement is signed directly with the Association; our housing office manages the entire property, from administration to maintenance, neighbor relations, and communication with the owners; the home is visited weekly (or more) by our caseworkers; and we have funding guaranteed by major organizations such as Enel Cuore and the Bank of Italy.”

A concrete project that, step by step, is changing the lives of people who had been trapped on the streets for years, forgotten by the system, and who now have the chance to rebuild their lives.

To date, the project manages a number of scattered apartments across different neighborhoods of the capital: Montesacro, Magliana, Ostia, Monte Spaccato, Piazza Bologna, Montagnola. This distribution breaks away from the logic of shelters—which often risk concentrating distress—allowing people to once again become full citizens and active members of the community.

“In our experience, so far there have been no problems with neighbors in the houses we manage. This is thanks in part to various tools, including the regular visits by our caseworkers, who provide educational and support work in favor of the beneficiaries.”

Housing Plus! Goals and Next Steps

“The Association is constantly looking for apartments throughout Rome, from studios for one person to larger apartments with multiple single rooms, where each beneficiary can have their own space. The goal is to develop multiple Housing First projects in every Municipio of Rome, making it the main model for tackling severe adult marginalization in the city.”

For more information, visit the website dedicated to the initiative: PsyPlus ETS – Psychology, Psychotherapy and Cooperation – Social Inclusion

For any form of support, please contact the Association at: [email protected]