With 20 years of experience working with the homeless, the last ten of which were in Housing First, I focus my training on changing the way people think about homelessness and the work around it. I also have extensive experience in leading the daily work within a Housing First organisation. My focus in my work is on seeing the healthy in people and conveying hope that change is possible.
I am an experienced facilitator, trainer and public speaker and have overseen national work on scaling up Trauma Informed Care and Housing First since 2015. I have a decade experience of practice development work in the homelessness sector and hold a qualification in organisational/systems dynamics.
Alex has worked with Homeless Link since 2019, leading on the Housing First England project. Alex Supports Housing First teams across the UK through training, good practice guidance and communities of practice, as well as working across research, policy and campaigns to advocate for the scaling up of Housing First in England. Alex completed the Train the Trainer Housing First training in 2019/2020 and has since developed and delivered training for Housing First practitioners and managers. Alex has a particular interest in fidelity to the Housing First principles, having developed the Staying on Track fidelity assurance framework in 2024.
Anke Jansen
Housing First Nederland
anke@housingfirstnederland.nlCountry: Netherlands
Languages: DutchEnglish
Anke Jansen is Co-founder of Housing First Nederland and has a carrier in consultancy, healthcare and human rights. The last 15 years, she started several Housing First projects and developed herself as an expert in ending homelessness on both national and local level with the principles of Housing First. She loves to make impact to create a human world for all.
Emeline Legrain
Observatoire wallon du sans abrisme - SPW IAS
emeline.legrain@spw.wallonie.beCountry: Belgium
Languages: French
I've been involved for over ten years in the fight against homelessness and the support of people in very precarious situations, and I'm currently Housing First referent at the Observatoire Wallon du Sans-Abrisme (in the French part of Belgium). In this role, I analyse programmes, organise training and take part in the identification of homeless people, in order to guarantee priority access to housing with appropriate support. As a former coordinator of the Housing First programme in Namur and a nurse at Relais Santé, I have always placed trust, individual skills and a holistic approach to support at the heart of my work. I also contribute to publications and training courses aimed at improving professional practices in the social sector.
Alena Vachnová
Nadacia DEDO/ Foundation DEDO
vachnova@nadaciadedo.skCountry: Slovakia
Languages: EnglishSlovak
Alena works to end homelessness in Eastern Slovakia by promoting affordable rental housing and integrated social, health, and employment services. She initiated the Housing First Programme for Families in Košice in 2020, now expanding to Prešov. As a strategic leader at the DEDO Foundation, she advocates for systemic change, shifting from managing to ending homelessness. Alena has trained professionals, policymakers, and service providers on evidence-based approaches to homelessness. With a background in law and social work, she holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. Her goal is to ensure that housing is recognised as a human right in Slovakia.
Kārlis Lakševics
University of Latvia; Green Liberty
karlis.laksevics@lu.lvCountry: Latvia
Languages: EnglishLatvian
I am a researcher, consultant and learning facilitator in housing and environmental fields. I was the researcher-evaluator of the Housing First pilot project in Latvia and have led several multi-stakeholder design workshops on Housing First and social worker trainings. In the Hub, I was part of the TTT Cohort 5. While primarily a researcher, I have a rich experience in leading formal and informal, face-to-face and online workshops and trainings spanning from policy to skills development. I draw my content and methods from rigorous policy and academic literature analysis, critical pedagogy, embodied learning, and design anthropology.
For the last thirty years or so, Nicolas has been working more specifically on issues of local social development and housing policies. His research focuses on the emergence of fundamental rights in social work practices. He has spent a large part of his career in the field of social policy on accommodation and housing. Today, he is involved in rolling out the Housing First model in France and piloting the Metropole of Lyon's Housing First policy.
Caroline Simon
Belgian Federal Public Planning Service 'Social Integration'
caroline.simon@mi-is.beCountry: Belgium
Languages: EnglishFrench
I’m a lawyer who’s always wanted to use my legal background to serve the social sector and combat poverty. After gaining experience both in academia and in the NGO sector, I joined the Belgian Federal Administration for Social Integration as a Housing First coordinator. I'm thrilled to be part of this Train the Trainer programme and to be able to promote the Housing First model. I'm also eager to engage with a diverse European network, which I believe will enrich our collective efforts in ending homelessness.
With 20 years of experience working with the homeless, the last ten of which were in Housing First, I focus my training on changing the way people think about homelessness and the work around it. I also have extensive experience in leading the daily work within a Housing First organisation. My focus in my work is on seeing the healthy in people and conveying hope that change is possible.
Åsa Bäckström
Stockholm city mission
asa.backstrom@stadsmissionen.seCountry: Sweden
Languages: EnglishSwedish
I am a sociologist and have worked with social work and homelessness for almost 20 years in various sectors. Now I work as a development manager at Stockholm City Mission. I went to cohort 4 and since then have trained in housing first for Sweden's city missions, mainly for municipalities in the start-up phase but also in other forms. Housing first because it works!
Maria has started working with clients. Substance abuse, mental health, social problems and homelessness are familiar themes to her from that time. She has also designed services for these client groups and acted as Programme Manager for the Helsinki region of the programme to reduce long-term homelessness. Currently, Maria works at the Y-Foundation, where she has been for the last eleven years in various positions. She is currently working in the Housing First Network Developers and her tasks include the dissemination and mainstreaming of Housing First work, for example through trainings.
Julia Wygnańska
Housing First Poland Foundation
Country: Poland
Languages: EnglishPolish
Julia's engagement in homelessness began with research for the Municipality of Warsaw during her Sociology studies at the University of Warsaw before becoming an independent researcher for the European Observatory on Homelessness (FEANTSA). In her later projects she concentrated on evaluating housing led programs through in-depth interviews with people experiencing homelessness. Since 2019 she’s a leader of Housing First Poland Foundation. Currently she provides fidelity consultation for the teams that want to develop their programs towards HF principles. Last but not least she is a social integration therapist and motivational interviewing practitioner and with that background she works as a support worker for people experiencing homelessness in Warsaw.
Marlene Panzenböck
Neunerhaus - Hilfe für obdachlose Menschen
Country: Austria
Languages: EnglishGermanSpanish
Marlene is a project manager and team leader at neunerhaus Housing First in Vienna and a lecturer for Housing First at the Vienna University of Applied Sciences. Marlene previously worked as a social worker with young refugees and in the education sector.
I’m a Social Worker with more than 7 years experience in the homeless sector in the UK and Spain, where I managed Housing First projects for Provivienda and Hogar Sí alliance. I believe that building a strong, supportive community is at the core of any successful endeavor.
Jana Hájková
Heimstaden Czech s.r.o.
Country: Czech Republic
Languages: CzechEnglish
I manage the S NÁMI DOMŮ project (WITH US HOME program), which has been operating since 2018 and meets all the conditions of Housing First for Youth. As part of the program, we provide housing for children leaving children's homes and foster families and help them integrate into society.
Dagmara Lutoslawska
Housing First Berlin
Country: Germany
Languages: EnglishGerman
Dagmara is a psychologist and has been working with people with mental illness for more than 10 years at low thresholds, with a focus on recovery and empowerment. In 2019, she started offering psychological support to homeless people at Berlin Zoo Station and subsequently at Housing First Berlin. Her focus is on the link to the health care system and the implementation of trauma-sensitive work in a multi-professional team. As a Housing First trainer, Dagmara shares her expertise on recovery and trauma.
Miriam Sanabria
Hogar Sí
Country: Spain
Languages: Spanish
I am a social educator and social worker. As a social intervention professional from 2011, I have worked in many social sectors and social areas, which has allowed me to develop different skills and intervention strategies, in addition to having different professional experiences. Currently, I work as a support worker on the public project “Building Home. Housing First” in Madrid. I feel very strongly about Housing First and its principles. I think Housing First is the way societies can end homelessness and I am sure that this reality is possible.
Sarah Edwards
Crisis
Country: UK
Languages: English
I am currently a Team Leader of a London-Wide Housing First Service (Crisis UK). I have over 10 years experience working in the homelessness sector, predominately in Housing First Services. I'm a keen advocate for systems change and sharing learning and best practice.
Thomas Lambrechts
Capuche asbl
Country: Belgium
Languages: French
Development of associative project for more than 20 years. I have worked in the fields of culture, politics, sport/leisure and real estate. Investing 100% in HF4Y projects since 2021.
Tomáš Novotný
Spolek PORTAVITA
Country: Czech Republic
Languages: Czech
I started working in 2006 in a Halfway house Chamomile as a social worker and since the year 2013 an educator in a facility for children requiring immediate help in the same organization Chamomile. I did these two jobs at the same time until 2017. After that I started working as a social worker in an Asylum for families with children Hannah, where I worked for 3 years. In 2020, I started as a key social worker in the PORTAVITA Housing First for adults project, where I still work today. Supported persons are mainly single mothers with children, but also complete families. The second project Housing First for Adults is already running at the moment.
Margherita Neri
Cooperativa Sociale Piazza Grande
Country: Italy
Languages: ItalianSpanish
Margherita has been working for 10 years in services aimed at homeless people within third sector organizations. She has always been passionate about the issue of the right to housing and for this reason she has coordinated and worked in the Housing First program managed by the Piazza Grande Social Cooperative. In the Cooperative she has covered various roles of coordination of socio-educational projects and is currently vice president. Margherita collaborates with Fio.PSD in the context of sector specific operators training, the training focusing especially on Housing First projects, social and health integration, and community work.
Patrick Schwemberger
Verein dowas
Country: Austria
Languages: German
After completing compulsory school and an apprenticeship in the metal industry, I studied "social work/social management" at the Vienna University of Applied Sciences on the second educational path. I was able to gain my first practical experience in helping the homeless during my studies in the context of "assisted living" in an internship. After completing my studies in 2011, I stayed in the field of helping the homeless and worked in the areas of "consulting" and "street work" for a little over two years, where I gained my first experience. After a one-year stay abroad, I then switched to the area of "partially assisted living/outpatient assisted living" in the same field of work, in which I have been working since 2014. I completed the Housing First Europe Hub's TTT - Train The Trainer - training in 2022.
Mia Saarela
Y-Säätiö
Country: Finland
Languages: EnglishFinnish
Mia is Coordinator for the National Housing First Development Network in Finland. She is passionate about eradicating homelessness and developing new ways of approaching housing-related issues. Mia has a backround in youth housing, social services & child protection services and is also experience in networking, providing training and a platform for learning about Housing First and housing related social work.
Pauline Portefaix
Fondation Abbé Pierre
Country: France
Languages: EnglishFrench
I am working at the advocacy level on Housing First in France. In my work for Fondation Abbé Pierre, which is known for its expertise in the evaluation of public policy, I have conducted an evaluation of the national Housing First programme.
Magdalena Syrówka
Przyszłość jest dziś
Country: Poland
Languages: EnglishPolish
Magdalena is a therapist, psychologist, sexual educator, and mediator. She worked as a frontline support worker and then as head of the Housing First implementation team in Warsaw. She both provided support on a daily basis and in crisis situations for tenants with ACT approach and organised coordination of the stakeholders. As a psychotraumatologist she also provides support in a field of sexual education and leadership in family based on Jesper Juul’s values. Her core is nonviolent communication, personal responsibility, and respect for the integrity of the individual.
Leah has over 30 years of experience in the homelessness and housing sector ranging from frontline outreach to managing services and coordinating interagency collaboration projects. She also spent 10 years working as a consultant undertaking evaluations, service model designs and action research. She was one of the first Australian participants to the Housing First Train-the-Trainer and co-authored the Housing First Principles for Australia which were endorsed by Homelessness Australia in 2020. From this, she helped design and deliver the Housing First train the trainer course for Australia and continues to deliver Housing First training both in person and online. Leah’s superpower is delivering online training that is interactive and highly participatory.
Dieuwertje de Jong
LIMOR
Country: Netherlands
Languages: DutchEnglish
Dieuwertje is currently advisor on policy for social care and homelessness for the municipality of Groningen. Before she was social worker and then a Housing First team manager for 5 years. She first learned about Housing First in 2013 and was drawn to the concept of giving the most difficult and high care need clients a change at housing directly from the streets. The transition from a ‘surviving-mode’ to feeling safe and secure in their new home, I found was a big challenge for most of my clients and something I found very rewarding to be a part of. Now, she’s also providing training for Housing First teams and give Housing First support worker the tools they need to understand and provide high fidelity support for their clients.
Anna Gazda
Independent
Country: Poland
Languages: Polish
Former social worker, Anna is currently a professional manager in social projects, trainer, and coach. She works for the local government units and is used to work with all stakeholders of the field to creates and implement social projects, mainly in social inclusion area. Her activities focus on supporting the general development and well-being of both individuals and groups, searching for solutions, planning, and managing resources, sharing experiences, and cooperating with various stakeholders. Since 2019 she’s involved in the implementation of Housing first in Poland and work closely with all kinds of Housing First stakeholders in Warsaw and Gdansk.
Raphael Bouloudnine
WFX
Country: France
Languages: EnglishFrench
Raphael is a psychiatrist with a degree in public health from NOVA university. After 10 years in Un chez soi d'abord (French Housing First), he's worked in working first and develops training in recovery oriented practice. His year as an assistant visiting professor at Yale University as part of the Program For Recovery and Community Health (PRCH) was an opportunity to visit several Housing First programmes in the US. He's currently the national coordinator for Un chez soi d'abord France at the DIHAL.
Josep Agustí Feliu
Sant Joan de Déu
Country: Spain
Languages: CatalanSpanish
I'm Josep and I have 10 years of experience working in the social sector as a Social Educator. I started working with people with disabilities, with children in care and since 2016 I'm working with this new paradigm HF in Lleida. I believe in this new paradigm and I also think that it is possible to adapt it to the needs of each city. We can do it!
Geert De Bolle
Housing First Lab
Country: Belgium
Languages: DutchEnglish
"For me, Housing First is about dignity. By offering people back a home that is really theirs, you give them so much more: freedom and autonomy, life chances, future, happiness"Geert has been the Dutch coordinator of the Housing First Lab since 2018. He lives in Kortrijk, is married and has three grown-up children, who are gradually leaving home. He enjoys travelling, long walks and board games. Geert is a trained social worker and had 15 years of experience within the local OCMW operation where he was responsible for the reception and guidance of homeless people. From this work, he got to know the ideas of Housing First. Later in life, he started university studies in social work at Ghent University.
Abele Sangiorgio
fioPSD; Opera San Francesco
Country: Italy
Languages: EnglishItalian
I've worked in schools and residential services for adolescents for almost 10 years. I work as a support worker and a case manager in an Housing First service since 2015. I work as a Housing First trainer since 2018. I contribute to the spread of the HF approach in my Country where there are often misconceptions and resistances about this approach. I have a degree in psychological sciences and techniques and I'm a professional counsellor.
Amanda Bloxsome
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Country: UK
Languages: English
I am an accomplished leader, who is a member of the Chartered Institute of Managers and educated to post graduate level. I am passionate about system change within homelessness and housing systems and have the drive to be able to influence change in these areas of delivery. I have a proven track record in mobilising, operationalising and overseeing quality and best practice within homelessness and housing provision, both operationally and strategically.
Peter-Jan Heylenbosch
Goodmen services - Freelancer
Country: Belgium
Languages: DutchEnglish
Peter-Jan started working in day shelter for homeless people during his studies, combined with working in the crisis shelter and night shelter in the city of Ghent. In 2012, he started his job as a Housing First support worker for the public welfare of Ghent, this project was part of the Belgian Housing First project, funded by the Belgian government. I was then asked by SAM VZW to assist in the Flemish housing first training to provide insights from his daily practice. His interest on Housing First still growing he took part of the Hub’s Train-the-Trainer, followed by the Outreach! Course organized by SAM Vzw Belgium. He still works as a Housing first support worker for the city of Ghent, and provide the Housing First and Outreach! courses for he Flemish region and as a freelance commissioned by SAM vzw Belgium.
Matilde Revelli
Programme and Communication Assistant, Housing First Europe Hub
intern@housingfirsteurope.euCountry: Italy
Matilde is a recent graduate of KU Leuven University (Belgium), where she completed a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development. Despite having a background in international relations and political science, she has always had an interest in sustainability and especially social sustainability, which she investigated for her Master thesis. Her research focused on how NGO coalitions pursue social sustainability by advocating for long-term housing solutions to homelessness such as Housing First, with the Hub as case-study. Her work is now centered on supporting the two Coordinators and the Head of Communication in the daily management of the network. Languages: Italian, English, French Contact Matilde: intern@housingfirsteurope.eu
Taina Hytönen
Programme Coordinator, Housing First Europe Hub
taina.hytonen@housingfirsteurope.euCountry: Finland
Taina works as the Manager of International Work in Y-Foundation in Finland. After social studies at the University of Helsinki she worked at the city of Helsinki to develop services for people with addictions and mental health problems. Since 1999 she has worked in Y-Foundation. Her first role was to build networks with partner organisations to provide services for the tenants. She has also coordinated the national development network on Housing First and since 2016 her main role has been as a Programme Coordinator for the Housing First Europe Hub. Taina is particularly involved in coordinating the training, community of practice and associate workstreams of the Hub. Languages: Finnish, English. Contact Taina: taina.hytonen@housingfirsteurope.eu
Emine Özkan
Neunerhaus - Hilfe für obdachlose Menschen
Country: Austria
Languages: EnglishGermanTurkish
Emine Özkan has a leading position at the Austrian social organization Neunerhaus, where she has managed the Housing First team since 2018. Previously, Emine worked in the field of preventing violence against women and children and led an empowerment program for girls and young women. Emine represents the Housing First approach at international conferences and meetings. She is committed to discussing challenges, reflecting experiences, and creating new ideas for implementing Housing First. In addition to her work at Neunerhaus, she is currently studying part-time for the international master's program "social work and social economy“ in Vienna.
Juha Kahila
Y-Säätiö/Y-Foundation
Country: Finland
Languages: EnglishFinnish
Juha has been working for 10 years in the field of homelessness. He started as a frontline support worker in 2010 for the Finnish Youth housing association services (NALPA) before becoming Housing First service manager and then CEO of NALPA. He joined Y-Säätiö in 2018 as coordinator for the National Housing First Development Network and became the Lead Coordinator in 2020 and is currently head of international affairs at Y-Säätiö. As part of his role at the Network, Juha organises training courses at national level, and is working on developing the Housing First model together with dozens of NGO’s and cities.
Nadyah Abdel Salam
GIE La ville autrement - Est Metropole Habitat
Country: France
Languages: French
Nadyah is a socio-urbanist and a task officer at GIE La Ville Autrement where she works on the deployment of partnership projects for the homeless in the metropolitan of Lyon within the framework of Housing First. In addition to being a Hoosing First trainer, Nadyah is also working on a thesis in sociology which deals with Housing First and the processes of institutional innovation in social housing (University of Nice - GREDEG).
Muriel Allart
Smes
Country: Belgium
Languages: French
Muriel is a Psychologist with 10 years of experience in Harm Reduction. She has been a Housing First Manager since 2013 - including ACT + ICM team management - and has rehoused more than 50 clients to date. As a Housing First trainer, Muriel shares her expertise in Harm Reduction, Recovery, Peer work, Crises management, and Violence.
Peter Brepoels
Steunpunt Mens en Samenleving
Country: Belgium
Languages: DutchEnglish
Peter started to work in youth and young adult care in the nineties, being focused on youth at risk of becoming homeless or young adults being homeless. At the time some of his older colleagues advised him to lower his expectations as to what could be achieved. He continued working, and 10 years later, caught himself being that older colleague telling the younger ones to 'not put their hopes up too high'. After he discovered the Housing First approach, he learnt that his initial hopes of achieving positive outcomes for homeless youth could be realised, and became a Housing First trainer.
Rémi Dekoninck
Diogènes (Station Logement)/ Projet Lama
Country: Belgium
Languages: French
Rémi has 20 years of experience working in the social sector, with experience in a wide range of social and homeless services, including:
Jo Prestidge
Homeless Link
Country: UK
Languages: English
Jo is the Head of National Practice Development at Homeless Link and lead of Housing First England since 2016 and support Housing First across the country, working with local government and service providers to develop new services and oversee a programme of policy influencing, research and practice development. Jo is an experienced trainer, facilitator, and public speaker with several years’ experience of working directly with people with multiple and complex needs including people entrenched in street homelessness. In addition to being a Housing First Trainer, Jo was trained as a consultant in the system-psychodynamics approach to organisational development at the renowned Tavistock Clinic.
Pilvi Azeem
Y-Säätiö/Y-Foundation
Country: Finland
Languages: EnglishFinnish
Pilvi started working on the homelessness field in Scotland in 2005 as an assertive outreach worker. After returning to Finland, Pilvi went to work with Helsinki Deaconess Institute in one of their newly opened Housing First units, providing supported living for long-term homeless people. She then had the opportunity to be part of establishing a new Housing First community-based supported housing unit for long- term homeless people. There she ensures that workers were familiar with Housing First principles and that the support work they did was in line with the Housing First principles. Pilvi is currently working as a project coordinator for the NEA project, aiming to stop women’s homelessness with a women-specific methods, and with eight multidisciplinary sub-projects.
David Valouch
Platform for Social Housing
Country: Czech Republic
Languages: CzechEnglishSlovak
David has over 15 years of work with drug addicts, including as an outreach worker, frontline worker, community therapist, and parental counsellor. He also has 3 years experience working in a halfway house, and is now participating in change of Czech social system to reduce and end homelessness in the Czech Republic. In addition to his training in Housing First, David is also a trainer of motivational interviewing, Buddhist meditation, psychodrama and focusing.