Eliot’s Commitment to Low-Barrier, Person-Centered Homelessness Services
By Rita Chapdelaine, VP of Homelessness Services, Eliot Community Human Services
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion on Housing First at the 2025 Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance Retreat. Today, on World Homelessness Day, we pause to reflect on what truly helps people exit homelessness—and champion the evidence-based, person-centered practices that work.
At Eliot, we know that safe, stable housing is the foundation on which recovery, healing, and personal growth are built. That’s why we are deeply committed to implementing Housing First principles and low-barrier programming—approaches proven to help more people successfully exit homelessness. Equally important to this work is challenging widespread misunderstandings of homelessness.
Breaking Through Misunderstanding and Stigma
One of the greatest challenges in ending homelessness is overcoming the misconceptions held by the broader public. Too often, homelessness is imagined as a single story—most commonly an individual who is chronically unhoused, visibly living on the street, and struggling with untreated mental illness or substance use. While some people do experience homelessness in this way, the reality is more complex.
Families with children, people working low-wage jobs who cannot afford rent, survivors of domestic violence and abuse, and individuals with disabilities or complex medical needs make up a larger share of the populations experiencing homelessness. Many cycle in and out quietly, staying in shelters, motels, or doubled up with relatives. Their experiences are often invisible in the cultural narrative, but no less destabilizing and traumatic.
This disconnect contributes to stigma, misunderstanding, and a lack of empathy for those most deeply impacted. It can also drive policy decisions that prioritize punitive or short-term fixes over evidence-based, person-centered solutions. At Eliot, we seek to reframe the conversation by highlighting the diverse realities of homelessness and centering services that meet people where they are, in all their complexity. The low-barrier model is critical to these services.
What Low-Barrier Programming Means
Low-barrier programming removes unnecessary obstacles that prevent people from accessing shelter and housing. Strict curfews, nightly sign-ups, drug testing, and abstinence requirements are examples of barriers that too often keep people outside rather than bringing them in.
Instead, our focus is on harm reduction, inclusivity, and flexibility. We acknowledge people as they are, whether they’re living with mental illness, disabilities, or substance use challenges. We welcome couples, people with pets, and those whose relationships and daily realities don’t fit neatly into rigid program rules.
Reducing barriers does not mean eliminating structure. Safety and behavioral standards remain central to ensuring that shelters and housing environments are supportive and secure. Eliot staff receive extensive training in trauma-informed care, de-escalation, and conflict resolution, equipping them to maintain a safe, respectful community for all residents.
In practice, this balance means people are more likely to remain stably housed, connected to resources, and engaged in community-based services that improve their quality of life and support self-determined goals.
Fidelity to Housing First
At the heart of our work is fidelity to the Housing First model—staying true to its core principles even when resources are stretched or systems push against it. Housing First rests on a simple but powerful truth: people need food, safety, and shelter before they can focus on employment, health, or recovery.
Client choice is also central. When people have a say in their housing options and the services they participate in, they are more successful in sustaining housing and reaching their goals. This is why Eliot prioritizes permanent supportive housing as the platform for change. By meeting basic needs first and honoring autonomy, we create the conditions for lasting stability.
Eliot’s Strengths in the Housing First Model
During the recent MHSA retreat panel on Housing First, I shared both the successes and challenges of this approach. Many individuals live successfully for years in our programs, while others face systemic obstacles, limited resources, and community stigma.
What sets Eliot apart is our ability to be both realistic and resourceful. Our staff plan ahead for challenges, adapt services to meet people’s evolving needs, and link clients to Eliot’s broader array of wraparound behavioral health and human services. We also maintain strong partnerships—with landlords, community stakeholders and organizations, and local leaders—that allow us to connect people not only to housing, but to a continuum of care and opportunity.
The Road Ahead
Each year, Eliot’s Homelessness Services Division provides in-home supportive services to hundreds of clients across Massachusetts. Through the Community Support Program for Homeless Individuals (CSP-HI), we also partner with sixteen other agencies to extend the reach of this work throughout the Commonwealth.
As these programs grow to meet increasing demand, Eliot will continue to demonstrate that Housing First works—not just for individuals, but for communities. By reducing barriers, honoring client choice, and investing in evidence-based, person-centered care, we are helping to shape a future where homelessness is resolved with dignity, effectiveness, and hope.
