Between principle and pragmatism: reflecting on the role of transitional housing in European HF4Y programmes

Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) has emerged as a rights-based, housing-led model prioritising immediate access to permanent housing and holistic, youth-centred support. However, across European implementations, transitional housing – typically time-limited and service-dependent – has re-emerged as a pragmatic response to systemic constraints, including acute housing shortages and underdeveloped youth housing infrastructure. This paper critically reflects on the role of transitional housing within HF4Y programmes, drawing on empirical evidence from a doctoral research project comprising a scoping review, qualitative interviews, and cross-national comparative analysis in six European countries. Findings reveal a persistent tension between the foundational commitments of HF4Y and the structural compromises embedded in the use of transitional housing. While such models may offer short-term stabilisation, their ambiguous position within HF4Y raises concerns about model fidelity, youth autonomy, and long-term housing outcomes. The use of transitional housing without clearer definitional and operational boundaries risks undermining the integrity of HF4Y, particularly in contexts marked by housing system crises. The paper argues for greater conceptual clarity, youth-informed programme design, and fidelity frameworks that are both context-sensitive and ethically grounded. Thus, it contributes to ongoing debates on housing precarity, system adaptation, and the normative tensions between principle and pragmatism in youth homelessness responses.