THE Greek Canadian scientist Sam J. Tsemberis – clinical psychologist and founder and executive director of Pathways to Housing is on TIME magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2024.

Who is Sam J. Tsemberis

Dr. Sam J. Tsemberis was born on March 11, 1949, in Skoura Laconia in Greece and lives in America.

He is in the category of pioneers for the housing and care program for homeless people, dependent people and people with serious mental illness – Housing First.

“His program, founded in New York in 1992, has changed the lives of tens of thousands of people and is influencing housing policy in the United States and around the world – from Houston to Helsinki. By treating housing as a basic human right, Sam has shown that humanity is the most effective path to ending homelessness,” TIME reports.

At Pathways to Housing, Tsemberis and a team that includes program participants and consumer and housing rights advocates developed the model that became known as Housing First. A program that provides immediate access to permanent housing and person-centered support to people experiencing homelessness and struggling with mental health and addiction issues.

Dr. Tsemberis leads the Pathways Housing First Institute which provides training and consultancy to service organisations, city, county and national governments and works with service providers and educational institutions around the world. In particular, Dr. Tsemberis is a community-clinical psychologist and faculty member in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on homelessness, mental illness, harm reduction, community integration and two books on Housing First. His work has been recognized, among others, by the American Psychological Association for Distinguished Contribution and a Distinguished Service Cross by the Government of Canada.