Our most basic needs for survival are food, water, warmth, and rest, but a person is only able to maintain these things if they first have safety and security. Housing First is a philosophical approach that says, let’s start with a permanent place to live.

Philadelphia has a 26% poverty rate, one of the highest in the nation. Of that 26%, nearly half (12.2%) are living in deep poverty, with incomes below 50% of the federal poverty limit. Even before the shutdown, people were struggling to make it day by day.