Background

The national coordination of Housing First France (Un chez soi d’abord) is based within the Interministerial Delegation for Accommodation and Access to Housing (DIHAL). Its mission is to support and expand the Housing First approach across France, ensuring access to permanent housing combined with intensive, multidisciplinary support for people experiencing homelessness and severe mental health issues.
The coordination team works to consolidate the national network, promote fidelity to the Housing First model, facilitate training and peer-support practices, and foster policy development that integrates housing and health as foundational rights.

Projects

Un chez soi d’abord: since its initial pilot in four cities (2011–2016), the programme has expanded to over 40 cities in France, with more than 3,000 Housing First places and the development of 6 specialised teams for vulnerable youth.

Youth Housing First (UCSD jeunes): Launched in 2021, this initiative targets young people facing severe mental health challenges and long-term precarity. It adapts Housing First principles to youth-specific trajectories and support needs.

Rural pilot (2025): A new experimental programme is being developed to implement Housing First in rural areas, with 25-place schemes designed for sparsely populated territories.

Peer support and recovery-oriented practices: A national framework supports the integration of peer workers (experts by experience) in Housing First teams, reinforcing a rights-based and recovery-oriented approach.