Dr. Sam Tsemberis founded Pathways to Housing in New York City in 1992 based on the belief that housing is a human right. At Pathways, Tsemberis developed the consumer-driven evidence-based Housing First model that provides immediate access to permanent supportive housing to individuals who are homeless and who have mental health and addiction problems.
Dr. Tsemberis is the CEO of Pathways to Housing National, which trains direct service organizations, conducts research projects, and influences policy related to Housing First. Dr. Tsemberis is also on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. He is currently participating in national studies of homelessness, mental illness, and addiction, and has published numerous articles and book chapters on these topics, including the Housing First Manual (Hazelden Publishing, updated in 2015). Dr. Tsemberis is continuously engaging with communities and agencies considering Pathways' model nationally and around the world.