Structurally addressing homelessness through coordinated social infrastructure

Expected outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Evidence of the structural social infrastructure [1] and services needed to address homelessness [1] at neighbourhood [1] level is made available to stakeholders involved in tackling homelessness. Improved availability and accessibility of key social infrastructure and services for homeless groups in the targeted neighbourhoods.

Scope

Based on 2024 data, over 1.2 million people are estimated to experience homelessness in Europe [4] , with a significant proportion (45%) of surveyed homeless individuals finding themselves in a situation of chronic homelessness for over two years [5] . While housing-led approaches [1] are crucial to tackle homelessness, addressing the structural and multidimensional causes of homelessness also requires systemic interventions focusing on social infrastructure and services in neighbourhoods. Social infrastructure and services include the physical places as well as public and community [1] sector facilities and services that support and enable access to healthcare, employment, education, community integration, and other social services. They must be developed and made available in a coordinated manner that mitigates the interconnected root causes of homelessness in the long term and supports the reintegration and social inclusion of individuals in communities by avoiding long-term dependence on emergency support. This is especially important considering that chronic homelessness is often accompanied by a complex mix of needs and physical and psychological functional variations. Research is required on how to analyse the interconnected, contextual conditions that drive and mitigate homelessness at the neighbourhood level and how to inform strategies to structurally address homelessness. Proposals are expected to address all of the following: Develop a system-based approach to mitigate homelessness and support the reintegration of individuals in communities by coordinating key social infrastructure and services (including healthcare, education, employment, community integration and other relevant social services) at neighbourhood level. The approach must cover at least the following: Analysis of local neighbourhood context and existing built environment [1] in terms of availability and equitable access to relevant social infrastructures and services, particularly for chr

What this means for cities and regions

Structurally addresses homelessness through coordinated social infrastructure and services — the financial-and-organisational counterpart to PARTICIPATION-01. Social-housing managers, social-services authorities and city departments participate. Project size around €3.5 million per grant; close 1 December 2026.