Our mission
The Housing First Europe Hub was established in 2016 by the Y-Foundation (Finland) and FEANTSA (the European Federation of National Organisations Working with Homeless People) along with more than 15 partners.
Since then, the Hub has grown to include more than 45 organisations, cities, government ministries, housing providers and researchers from across Europe and beyond in 15 different countries.
We work in partnership with our core and associate partners to promote Housing First as the first and central response to homelessness.
The Hub’s mission is to end and prevent homelessness through a mind shift, leading to a systems’ change across Europe, based on Housing First through advocacy, training, practice, research, support, communication activities and capacity building.
We contribute to this by:
- Promoting understanding about and providing support to scaling up of Housing First.
Scaling up is not about multiplying Housing First initiatives without aiming for systemic change. It requires moving from a programme/project approach to Housing First, in favour of a systems’ change whereby Housing First is the organising paradigm.
Providing support to:
- Newcomers to Housing First, i.e. provision of information and evidence, access to training resources and materials (online tools on the Housing First Europe Hub’s website, organisation of training programmes by Housing First Europe Hub trainers, etc.), connection through the network to knowledge and colleagues (brokerage).
Support to newcomers is always in view of a systems’ change perspective (and not e.g. support just with setting up isolated Housing First projects). - Existing Housing First policies/initiatives, i.e., support to the management, implementation and evaluation of Housing First.
How we work
The Housing First Europe Hub partners and associates work together with the Coordinator in a number of working groups:
Advocacy and Policy Development
- Advocating for a Housing First approach at a systems level
- Housing and Housing First EU opportunities for Housing First
Capacity Building
- Support and innovation with Housing First Managers in a Community of Practice
- A network of national Housing First platforms/networks
- Housing First for Youth – training, research, start-up resources
- Community of Practice on implementing Housing First in post-secondary education
Knowledge Development
- Mobilising data and research on Housing First for organisations, housing providers, governments, researchers, etc.
- Assessing research gaps on Housing First
Get in touch with Samara Jones, the Housing First Coordinator for more information on how to engage with this work
Join the Hub!
To join the Hub partnership interested organisations, cities, government ministries, housing providers, researchers should agree to commit to the core principles of Housing First, as set out in the Housing First Europe Guide, and to be engaged in or working towards scaling up Housing First in their community and across Europe.
Partners have access to all Hub services including:
All communication including the website and newsletter;
- The option to include their logo on the Hub website
- The opportunity to co-produce tools with the Hub through participation in work clusters;
- Access to Train-the-Trainer courses and other activities;
- Invitation to all events, workshops etc., organised around the annual Steering Group meeting.
For questions, or to apply to become a partner of the Housing First Europe Hub, please feel free to reach out to our Programme Coordinator: Samara Jones
Our Partnership
The Hub’s staff
Admin & Finance Assistant
I’ve recently joined the HUB as an Admin and Finance Assistant. I’m in charge of invoicing, reimbursements, maintaining records of transactions, follow-up of payments, expense claims, and overseeing the daily operations of the accounting department.
Coordination & Communications assistant
Miranda joined the Housing First Europe Hub in September 2024. Within the Hub, she contributes to the smooth running of the Community of Practice, to the organisation of online and in-person events and the strengthening of the partnership between Hub members and allies as assistant coordinator. She previously gained experience at the European Commission’s DG HOME funding directorate, at the Venice Immigration and Social Inclusion office, and in local NGOs dealing with homelessness and migrants’ integration.
Coordinator
Samara Jones has worked on homelessness and social justice issues both in Europe and Canada. She is based in Brussels and is the Coordinator of the Housing First Europe Hub.