New Horizons in Housing First
Since the 2022 conference in Madrid, the Housing First community has made notable steps forward, but also encountered persistent challenges. The New Horizons in Housing First conference held in Dublin in November 2024 aimed at reflecting on the broader goal: ending homelessness and preventing it in the coming years.
What does this mean in each participant’s work? What does it mean for the Housing First Europe Hub as a collective force for change?
One of the plenaries focused on progress and challenges of Housing First and Systems change. Bringing together voices from Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Scotland, the panelists reflected on how far we’ve come, and how far we still need to go.
Key lessons and ongoing challenges
- Collaboration is critical. System change requires both national leadership and local implementation. That means aligning stakeholders across levels, and building long-term political commitment.
- Creativity fuels change. Progress comes from innovation, whether through peer advocacy, flexible funding models, or novel approaches to housing creation.
- Creating a strong and shared narrative matters. Beyond metrics and plans, what sustains this work is moral conviction, making space for voices with lived experience, and for those who push us not to give up. A shared narrative and joint commitment are essential to scale Housing First meaningfully, using something shiny, simple and attractive.
- Deinstitutionalisation remains a hurdle. Too often, systems default to shelters. Real change demands rethinking infrastructure and services from the ground up.
- System change must be intentional. Many systems still lack incentives or tools to shift from managing to solving homelessness.
