Subject: Housing First for Youth (HF4Y)

  • IMG_20210515_102559695_BURST001 (3) - De Bolle Geert

    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.    

  • PRESENTATION: Introduction to Housing First for Youth

    A slide deck developed by the Hub and made available for use by Housing First and Housing First for Youth trainers, practitioners, and advocates. View or download the presentation...

    Check it out here

    Publication

  • PRESENTATION: Youth Housing & Housing First for Youth in Finland (Tiina Irjala, NAL)

    These slides were used during the Housing First for Youth session of the International Social Housing Festival in Helsinki, June 2022. The presentation is made available with the permission...

    Check it out here

    Publication

  • PRESENTATION: Causes of Youth Homelessness and Housing First Pathfinder – Edinburgh (Gary Neil – Rock Trust)

    These slides were used during the Housing First for Youth session of the International Social Housing Festival in Helsinki, June 2022. The presentation is made available with the permission...

    Check it out here

    Publication

  • PRESENTATION: Housing First for Youth – Definition & Core Principles (Lisa O’Brien, Focus Ireland)

    These slides were used during the Housing First for Youth session of the International Social Housing Festival in Helsinki, June 2022. The presentation is made available with the permission...

    Check it out here

    Publication

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    Melanie Schmit

    LIMOR & Housing First Netherlands

    Country: Netherlands

    Languages: DutchEnglish

    Melanie’s working life focus on people in need, and especially on the field of homelessness. She studied social work, then completed a bachelor’s degree in health care management and a study around professional coaching and leadership. She’s currently focusing on education around public affairs after having started as a social worker in a homelessness service and becoming a Housing First manager for adults and for youth. Today, Melanie works for LIMOR on scaling up, further developing, and promoting Housing First in the Northern and Western part of The Netherlands. She’s also training groups on Housing First. Melanie was one of the co-initiators of Housing First Netherland and is now its president.

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    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.