H:OUSE Project, Mid-term Assessment Report

The first phase of H:OUSE project has generated practice-based knowledge about housing accesibility for migrants and refugees. One of the most significant findings is a cultural shift concerning the way in which participants came to understand housing over the course of the project. Participants across territories progressively moved toward recognising housing difficulties as structural conditions rooted in broader urban and political dynamics. Beyond individual change, several partners documented a shift toward collective commitment, reflected in the co-development of community manifestos, the establishment of permanent multi-stakeholder working groups, and the consolidation of crosssectoral alliances with potential to continue beyond the project's duration. A key enabler of this process has been the diversity of the networks developed throughout the project. Across territories, partners observed that diversity attracts diversity. The presence of actors from different sectors and profiles within the same space generates a pull effect, drawing in stakeholders who would not have engaged in a more homogeneous setting. Reaching this diversity required adapted strategies, including multilingual outreach, the involvement of community leaders as bridges to newly arrived migrants, and the creation of informal spaces for exchange alongside more structured activities. The evidence from the first phase also points to a close connection between networks, integration, and housing access. Stronger networks facilitate better integration, and better integration opens more housing pathways; through language learning, access to employment, knowledge of rights, and the development of social networks. In this regard, it has become equally clear that ensuring migrants move from a consultative role to becoming active participants and co-designers of solutions is essential.