Housing as a base for welfare in Greece: the staircase of transition and Housing First schemes

Abstract

Adopting the approach of O’Shaughnessy et al. (2020), this article attempts to study the impact of different Greek housing services on the freedom of beneficiaries to develop their capabilities for a well-lived life, according to the views of service providers. After drawing links between capabilities, housing approaches and welfare, the article examines four housing programmes in Greece—two for homeless people and two for asylum seekers—through interviews with representatives of housing services. The article argues that Housing First services are thought to have greater impact on beneficiaries’ capabilities than services based on the ‘Staircase of Transition’ approach, but the incomplete application of Housing First schemes, to date, erodes the maximisation of their social effectiveness.