Since we have spent a lot of time this semester discussing how affordable and attainable housing is really the answer to our country’s issues of widespread homelessness, it was really refreshing to learn about some of the realistic steps being taken to achieving this. I read the book Housing First for my presentation, and learned so much about this movement that seems to have real potential to make a difference. I didn’t know much about the program before reading the book, which I think is part of the problem. More states, counties, cities, and individuals should be aware of how effective Housing First can be. Not only can it be successful in reducing the amount of people living homeless on the streets and in shelters, but it can significantly increase peoples’ independence, confidence, and potential. This is something I believe should be afforded to homeless individuals who have been victims to the streets, and to “treatment first” programs that discourage them from rebuilding social bonds, and disallow them from having a say in their road towards self reliance. Beyond getting the word out and writing books such as this one, I am lost for an answer as to how to get more cities on board with this movement. Perhaps a lot of it comes from the disparities separating places. As can be seen in the differences of programs in Seattle, Salt Lake, and New York, there is a lot of variation that comes from both the program itself, and the place in which it is installed. Nevertheless, it seems like it is worth the experiment, as it succeeds in empowering populations who were never given that chance before.