The Keys to Low-Threshold Housing

On April 7th, 2022 the RIZE Massachusetts Foundation, the National Harm Reduction Coalition, and the Kraft Center for Community Health at MGH, came together for the second in a series of learning communities focused on safe housing and harm reduction practices. For this second learning community, The Keys to Low-Threshold Housing, we heard from peers across the country about partnerships and approaches they have developed to save lives and keep people housed.

Laura Guzman, JD, of The DOPE Project and Andrew Spiers, LSW, of Pathways to Housing, participated in a discussion moderated by Emma Roberts of the National Harm Reduction Coalition. They shared replicable best practices focused on person-centered approaches that build trust and autonomy, with an emphasis on how best to support people who use drugs. They also addressed topics raised by learning community participants.

Participants in this 2-hour event:

• Learned replicable best practices for low-threshold housing
• Explored how to identify and foster the right partners and approaches for deeper collaboration between harm reduction and housing programs
• Learned about resident rights and explore opportunities for harm reduction

The Keys to Low-Threshold Housing explored how harm reduction and housing providers can partner to better serve people with substance use disorders. Please watch the recording below.