To describe and evaluate the fidelity of Housing First (HF) initiatives in six European countries to the Pathways HF (PHF) model and examine the larger social, historical, and political factors that may foster or impede model fidelity. Key stakeholders representing six European HF initiatives completed semi-structured phone interviews. Interviews were thematically analyzed according to five key fidelity domains and updated with interim results of a recent European research project (Housing First Europe). Dissatisfaction with the status quo was often cited as the catalyst driving searches for system change. PHF's evidence base, consumer-driven philosophy, recovery-oriented services, and view of housing as a basic right swayed local decisions to implement HF programs. Interviews yielded stronger evidence of fidelity on no housing readiness requirements, separation of housing and services, a harm reduction approach, consumer choice in services, and weaker evidence of fidelity on scatter-site housing, choice in housing, and breadth and intensity of services provided. Implementation challenges included resistance from existing programs, availability of affordable housing, and moral judgments of worthiness for housing. Both new and established programs evidenced high commitment to PHF principles and philosophy, but older programs demonstrated greater fidelity on a wider range of indicators. Early evidence indicates that HF can be successfully replicated within the European context, though local historical, social, and political factors may impact fidelity. Many programs committed to fidelity in principle faced external or financial barriers to implementation. Strategic planning and training to ensure that the programs unfold and mature in ways that realize HF principles in practice is recommended.

Nussbaum’s Central Capabilities refer to the elements of a well-lived life, and many adults who experience homelessness are deprived of these capabilities. The study aim was to investigate whether service users experience different homeless services as affording or constraining capabilities. We conducted semi-structured interviews with homeless service users (n = 77) in Housing First (HF) and staircase services (SS) in eight European countries. We used thematic analysis to identify three themes: autonomy and dependency, the relational impact of living arrangements, and community interaction and stigma. While SS participants were able to address their bodily integrity and health, their higher-order capabilities were constrained by their homeless situations. HF participants described home as a base from which they could enact a wide range of capabilities indicative of a well-lived life. We conclude that housing-led service models with appropriate supports are key to affording service users’ capabilities. Practical and policy implications are discussed.

We examined the relation of two acculturation stressors, exclusion from ordinary privileges and overt discrimination, to two indicators of psychological well-being (i.e., psychiatric symptoms and satisfaction with life) among a diverse sample of immigrant women living in Ireland (N = 174). We grouped our sample into “visible” immigrant women of color and “nonvisible” White immigrant women. As expected, visible immigrant women reported more experiences of overt discrimination and fewer experiences of ordinary privileges than did nonvisible immigrant women. The associations of belonging to a visible immigrant group with both psychiatric symptoms and satisfaction with life were each mediated through ordinary privileges and overt discrimination. The magnitude of the two indirect effects was equal for psychiatric symptoms, but for satisfaction with life, the indirect effect through ordinary privileges was stronger. After accounting for ordinary privileges and overt discrimination, the average score for satisfaction with life was higher for visible immigrant women than for nonvisible immigrant women. These findings suggest that visible immigrant women experience exclusion from ordinary privileges to a greater extent than nonvisible immigrant women and that this type of exclusion is at least as detrimental to psychological health as more overt forms of discrimination. Our findings demonstrate the importance of attending to discrimination of both visible and nonvisible immigrants and highlight the importance of ordinary privileges to immigrants’ well-being in their countries of destination. We discuss implications for future research and social policy.