Not homeless anymore. The potential of Housing First for including homeless people in the housing market

Housing First as a new service model to contrast homelessness is gaining momentum in many European cities. Based on the principle that housing is a basic human right, it provides homeless people with access to regular, stable and affordable housing. Nevertheless, it has been rarely analysed from the entry point of housing, being primarily studied and implemented as a social policy approach. This research draws on the analysis of five practices implementing Housing First in five European cities (Bologna, Budapest, London, Stockholm, and Vienna) to contribute to a re-framing of Housing First as a matter of both social and housing policy. This is made by discussing on its scope (which social and housing needs should be addressed by Housing First?) and its potential for granting access to housing to homeless people in relation with contemporary housing systems: are there houses enough to grant access to housing to all the homeless? Are these allegedly available house affordable enough? Do they come with sufficient tenure security to promote housing stability? Is it equal to grant access to housing to a selected number of people in a context of housing hardship of larger parts of the population?