What do we Mean by Housing First? : Categorising and Critically Assessing the Housing First Movement from a European Perspective

While ‘Housing First’ can seem an ambiguous concept, this paper argues it is possible to broadly classify three main ‘Housing First’ variants and discuss their effectiveness. The paper argues that it is important that the core achievement of Housing First services in taking and keeping most of the people they work with out of a state of homelessness is not lost sight of as criticism of the approach increases. Debates about defining ‘Housing First’ are unproductive. There is evidence that the ‘pure’ form, Pathways Housing First model, and two broadly defined ‘Housing First’ variants that are influenced by, or reflect, the Pathways Housing First philosophy, ‘Communal Housing First’ and ‘Housing First Light’, can all deliver sustained exits from homelessness.