At First Step House, impact is not defined by a single moment of recovery — but by lasting stability, reduced system involvement, and lives rebuilt over time. We measure what matters, because accountability and outcomes are essential to achieving our vision: a community where homelessness, incarceration, and substance use disorders no longer define a person’s future.
Every result below reflects a proven model delivered at scale and refined through continuous evaluation.
Each year, First Step House helps about 1,700 people move out of homelessness, recover from substance use, and reenter the community after incarceration.
of Valor House veterans transitioned into permanent housing
of housing residents maintained stable housing
reduction in jail bed days for REACH clients
of Recovery Residence graduates secured long-term housing
Behind every statistic is a person reclaiming their future.
“I had lost everything and everyone. All that changed when the day I made it to First Step House. I have never been as happy or had as much hope for the future as I do now.”
A First Step House
graduate
“This has been such a positive experience here, being here. To help me reestablish my life. And give some normalcy back, instead of worrying, hey, am I going to have a bed to stay in? Am I going to have a roof over my head? Am I going to have food to eat? I have confidence that all will come together because of Valor House.”
A Veteran living at
Valor House
“I just got a big promotion, and I’m able to start saving money so that I can focus on, you know, getting all the things that I want or need as opposed to being helpless and running around the streets. So, I’m very hopeful!”
A resident of Stratford
Apartments
First Step House earns top ratings for transparency, financial stewardship, and impact from leading independent nonprofit evaluators. We are Joint Commission–accredited and consistently rank as one of Utah’s Top Workplaces — reflecting a culture grounded in accountability, quality, and care.
Vision 2030 is grounded in a simple belief: housing is healthcare, and healthcare is housing.
By 2030, First Step House is building a complete regional system of care that addresses homelessness at its clinical root: untreated mental health and substance use disorders. Our impact comes from combining treatment, healthcare, and stable housing into one coordinated model.
That work includes:
By 2030, success means fewer people returning to homelessness or incarceration because they no longer have to. It means recovery that holds, housing that lasts, and a system that finally works for the people who need it most.
Generosity fuels everything we do. Each gift helps us provide treatment, housing, and the wraparound care that make lasting change possible. And the ripple effect is clear: fewer emergency room visits, fewer jail stays, fewer preventable deaths — and a healthier community for everyone.
Improvement and transparency are First Step House core values. We track progress using both internal data and independent evaluations. By sharing our results openly with funders, partners, and the public, we earn your trust.