A year on from the launch of our advocacy webinar series, we looked at the results of our survey on different experiences of Housing First policy interventions and service adaptations made during the pandemic, with a discussion on successes, failures and how to ensure that we don’t slide ‘back-to-normal’ as Covid19 is brought under control by the vaccine rollout.
Featuring Saija Turunen – Researcher at Y-Säätiö and the Housing First Europe Hub; Francesca Albanese – Head of Research & Evaluation at Crisis UK; Mike Allen – Director of Advocacy & Research at Focus Ireland; Melanie Schmit – Co-Founder & President, Housing First Nederland and Program Manager, Limor; and hosted by Samara Jones – Programme Coordinator at the Housing First Europe Hub.
Watch the recording
Mike Allen – Director of Advocacy & Research, Focus Ireland
Mike Allen is Director of Advocacy and Research in one of Ireland’s leading housing and homeless charities, Focus Ireland. He was President of FEANTSA (the European Network for Homeless Organisations) 2013-16 and is a member of the European Observatory on Homelessness. He is chair of the Housing First Europe Hub.
Previously, Mike served a General Secretary of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) 1987-2000 and the Irish Labour Party (2000-08). He has also published a number of articles on unemployment, homelessness and social movements and as well as ‘The Bitter Word: Ireland’s Job Famine and its Aftermath’ (Poolbeg, 1998).
Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeAllenFI
Melanie Schmit – Co-Founder & President, Housing First Nederland and Program Manager, Limor
Melanie is co-founder and president of Housing First Netherlands. A national knowledge platform on Housing First and a network organization for Housing First practices. Housing First Netherlands strives for a country without homelessness, where everyone has a home and the support needed to maintain it.
Melanie is convinced that the best way to do this with the evidence-based Housing First model to end homelessness in particular for people with multiple needs. She also works as a Program Manager at LIMOR, where Melanie is also involved in scaling up, further developing and promoting Housing First.
Follow Melanie on Twitter: @Melanie_Schmit