This report examines how the Housing First model is being implemented, adapted, and developed across Europe, using Finland, Germany, Ireland, and Spain as illustrative examples of diverse national and local contexts. The analysis draws on qualitative data, including individual and group interviews, site visits, field notes, and case studies, supplemented by a European level training needs survey. Together, the data provides a comparative picture of how Housing First is implemented in practice within different welfare systems, housing markets, and organisational structures across the continent.
The findings confirm that Housing First has had a substantial positive impact on people experiencing long-term homelessness by offering stable housing, sense of safety, and person-centered support. At the same time, the ability to deliver the model as intended varies between countries and cities, shaped by structural factors such as the availability of affordable housing, access to services and fragmented service systems, and reliance on short-term or project-based funding.
Across all four participating countries, both staff and residents emphasised the importance of right-based housing, flexible long-term support, harm reduction, recovery and active engagement without coercion as essential features of Housing First. At the same time, the research also identifies practical challenges in consistently applying these principles, particularly in contexts where housing supply is limited or support services are understaffed or difficult to access. Clear training needs emerged in areas such as trauma-informed practice, harm reduction, recovery-oriented work, staff well- being, cross-sector cooperation and community integration.
Despite these challenges, the study highlights a range of innovative and context- sensitive adaptations of Housing First, such as communal Housing First models, strengthened cooperation with public housing providers and other landlords, different forms of prevention, and low-threshold community and work activities. These examples demonstrate how core Housing First principles can be upheld while still responding to local needs and systemic constraints. Overall, the results underline that effective Housing First implementation in Europe requires a balance between strong model fidelity and flexible, contextually grounded adaptations, supported by continuous training and cross-sector collaboration.