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We investigate the impact of supportive housing (Housing First, or HF) programs on public service utilization of people experiencing homelessness in Calgary, Alberta. We use data on clients between 2012 and 2016, and, using a pre–post design, we assess the interaction of each client with the health and justice systems. We estimate the savings for $1 spent on HF to be between $1.17 and $2.84. There are potential estimation biases, but our estimates are broadly consistent with evidence from randomized controlled trials. Our somewhat higher estimated returns may be attributed to the practice of program delivery and effectiveness of the triage system.

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Government officials like the idea of just a small number of households in their respective jurisdiction receiving social assistance. A large number is seen as costly to the public treasury, and declining caseloads are generally viewed as a mark of success for both the economy and the government of the day. But what factors account for the size of a Canadian province's social assistance caseload? This article aims to shed light on this question, with a focus on single adults without dependants (and without serious disabilities) during the 1989-2017 period. One important finding is that when the value of social assistance benefit levels for this group increases by 1% in a province, the social assistance caseload for this demographic rises by 0.457%. Put differently, there is indeed an important behavior response associated with higher benefit levels. In response, we propose that provincial officials budget for higher take up levels when they increase benefit levels for this household group.