The councillor for Social Action, Cristina do Canto Tavares, said the ‘Housing-First’ model has grown from a pilot project to a solid programme. It now helps reduce homelessness and substance abuse.

The PDL ‘Housing First’ programme currently provides five homes to a total of six people who were “in a chronic situation of homelessness”.

With these results, the local authority will double its investment in the programme this year. This follows a 100% success rate confirmed by Crescer and Novo Dia representatives at a recent review meeting.

At the meeting, the director of the Crescer Association, Américo Nave, praised the municipality’s political vision. He also highlighted the technical work done by the Novo Dia association.

“To date, there has been no setback whatsoever, and as a result, the programme is proving 100% successful in Ponta Delgada. We are delighted with this outcome and with the increased investment in the programme, given the individual and collective impact it has,” said the official, as quoted in the press release.

Hélder Fernandes, technical coordinator of the Novo Dia Association, highlighted the importance of the supervision provided by the Crescer Association and emphasised the initiative’s success.

“We feel very gratified that everything we are doing is translating into concrete results in the lives of these people, the tenants. This would not be possible without the support of the City Council and Crescer, whose supervision and technical support have been fundamental to our work,” he stated.

Councillor Cristina do Canto Tavares also expressed her satisfaction that the model continues to yield extremely satisfactory results in terms of “reducing consumption and instances of victimisation”, as well as in “voluntary adherence to treatment and healthcare, empowerment and integration into the community”.

“These may seem like minor achievements in the eyes of most of society, but they represent giant strides in the lives of these people who were chronically homeless and facing serious addiction problems,” he said, highlighting the “tireless and often unseen” work carried out by all the professionals and institutions involved in the ‘Housing First’ programme.

The programme was implemented in 2023 as a pioneering initiative in the region and is the result of a coordinated effort between the City Council, through the Department of Social Development, Education, Youth and Sport, the Novo Dia Association and the Crescer Association.

Cristina do Canto Tavares emphasised that support for the project forms part of the set of measures under the Municipal Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, whose main objectives are to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness and to reduce dependencies.

The mayor emphasised that the municipality of Ponta Delgada maintains a “firm commitment” in this area, with significant investment in social services and projects such as the Equipa de Rua Fora d’Horas, Casa Manaias, the NPISA – Centre for Planning and Intervention for the Homeless, and new responses to social emergencies and psychosocial rehabilitation.

The ‘Housing First’ programme is based on the premise that housing is a fundamental right and that everyone should have access to safe and stable accommodation, regardless of their personal circumstances.

The ‘Housing First’ model originated in the United States of America more than 20 years ago and was introduced in Portugal in 2009.