Events

This presentation will make a bioethical case for the US adopting the “housing first” model for responding to homelessness and housing insecurity. The Housing First model approaches the complex and diverse medical needs, and other social needs, of people experiencing homelessness by first providing them with free unconditional housing. This also aligns with recent efforts to recognize housing as a human right. The prospects for radically shifting how the US approaches homelessness has been complicated by four trends: a housing affordability crisis, growing recognition of housing insecurity as a public health threat, court battles over pandemic-era eviction bans, and a growing body of data indicating that the Housing First model is not only morehumane but also more economically efficient than the restrictive and short-term housing programs typically offered.

Sean A. Valles is Professor and Director of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Center for Bioethics and Social Justice. He is author of the 2018 book, Philosophy of Population Health: Philosophy for a New Public Health Era (Routledge Press; also published in Mandarin translation in 2022), and co-editor of the Oxford University Press book series, “Bioethics for Social Justice”. He is a philosopher of health, primarily focusing on the ethical dimensions of social determinants of health.