All individuals and families should have safe, affordable housing.
• Ensuring safe, affordable housing for all New Yorkers requires effective collaboration among stakeholders – including providers, public agencies, community organizations, and clients.
• Services and support should assist individuals and families to avoid becoming homeless by maintaining current, appropriate accommodations.
• Every effort must be made to prevent individuals and families who have appropriate housing from entering the shelter system.

All efforts should be made to assist individuals and families as soon as possible to avoid crises that cause homelessness.
• Interventions should be delivered at the community level before points of crisis, to avoid the disruption and instability created by homelessness or the risk of becoming homeless.
• Coordination should occur to serve individuals and families holistically, addressing the circumstances that can cause homelessness.
• Agencies and providers should provide cohesive services for individuals and families being served by multiple systems.

Homeless preventive services should provide flexible assistance to meet individual and family needs.
• Preventive services should be culturally sensitive and easy to access at the community level, if appropriate.
• Services should be flexible and responsive to client needs, ensuring the earliest possible interventions through a range of services.

Agencies that provide services to clients in institutional settings should ensure successful discharges to stable, permanent housing.
• Discharge planning and resource coordination should occur to facilitate a safe and appropriate transition that ensures individuals and families do not become homeless.
• Discharge planning should include provision of or referral to appropriate support services, when necessary.

All individuals and families receiving services deserve respect and must be respectful.
• Individuals and families should have knowledge about available preventive services.
• Individuals and families should be aware of their rights and responsibilities as tenants and clients, as well as the rights and responsibilities of landlords.
• Individuals and families receiving preventive assistance should receive clear information, responsive services, and information about their rights as clients and the responsibilities of agencies.

Preventive services should be guided by data and research.
• Data should inform prevention interventions that address the causes of homelessness.
• Research should routinely inform policy development.
• Service delivery should be based on both quantitative and qualitative data, including client and staff feedback.
• Agencies and providers must be accountable for meeting standards and achieving successful outcomes for clients.