Final event in Ghent: raising the ROOF together

For two years, the ROOF network has been exchanging knowledge and drafting local action plans to end homelessness by making the shift from shelter to Housing First and via data collection. With the great European momentum of the new European Platform on ending homelessness, we took the opportunity to discuss with the policy and political levels how together we can help cities end homelessness through Housing First and Housing Led in the decade to come.

The final event day consisted of different parts:

• in the morning, there was the high level European political ROOFTOPEU2022 at the Ghent football stadion, the Ghelamco Arena. We discussed our ROOF key messages with European, national and local politicians, experts and the audience: what do policy levels need from each other and to what can the political levels commit to implement Housing First/Led? At the end of the meeting, there was a small ROOFTOPEU2022 footballmatch between the Ghent (ex-) homeless football team De Plantrekkers and the ROOF-team.
• in the afternoon, we organized a ROOF walk in New Ghent, a neighbourhood where Housing First is implemented. During the walk the 9 ROOF cities shared their main results from the project with the participants.
• in the evening, there was a final moment with network members and a public musical performance in the city center.

Are you curious? You can see the aftermovie here!