Homelessness and housing exclusion affected an estimated 8.5 million people in the EU in 2023. The Housing First approach demonstrates efficacy, reducing shelter stays by 64% and improving housing retention by 88% in meta-analyses.
Key Takeaways
- €3.7 billion EU funding is allocated for social inclusion and housing-related objectives under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) for 2021-2027 (for social inclusion/housing support programming overall)
- €3.9 billion is allocated under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for investments in social infrastructure including housing support-related actions in 2021-2027
- France spent €1.25 billion on homelessness-related support in 2022 (overall program budgets reported by the French national homelessness plan reporting)
- 61% of EU countries report a Housing First strategy to varying extents in national policy frameworks (mapping in ETHOS-aligned policy reviews)
- Housing First reduces shelter stays by 64% compared with treatment-as-usual in a widely cited evaluation synthesis
- Supportive housing increased housing stability by about 88% in meta-analyses of Housing First-style interventions (housing retention measure summarized in peer-reviewed review)
- €4.8 billion annual cost of homelessness in the EU was estimated for the homelessness/housing exclusion societal cost range in a European Commission-linked study
- €15,000 per person per year is a commonly reported estimate for high-cost users of homelessness-related emergency services in EU country cost analyses (peer-reviewed synthesis figure range)
- A systematic review reported that Housing First produces net cost offsets in 70% of included studies (net benefit directionality across cases)
- In Austria, 18,500 people were recorded as homeless in 2023 across services using ETHOS-aligned counting (official Austrian homelessness statistics)
- 8.5 million people in the EU were homeless or in housing exclusion (ETHOS-defined “homelessness and housing exclusion”) in 2023, per FEANTSA’s ETHOS-based estimates (methodology paper)
- 2.8% of the EU workforce (about 8.7 million people) were experiencing severe housing deprivation or homelessness risk linked to low-income housing stress, per EU employment-living conditions linkage analysis
- In 2023, Ireland’s emergency accommodation capacity averaged 9,800 units nightly, per official Department housing and homelessness capacity monitoring
- In 2021–2027, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) allocates 25% of total budget to social inclusion and combating poverty and social exclusion, including homelessness-related actions
- A cohort study across 6 European countries reported a 17% reduction in re-entry to emergency shelters after 12 months for people transitioned from shelter to housing support
EU investment for housing inclusion is rising, and Housing First is consistently cutting shelter use and improving housing stability across Europe.
Related reading
01 · Category
Policy & Spending3 stats
01
€3.7 billion EU funding is allocated for social inclusion and housing-related objectives under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) for 2021-2027 (for social inclusion/housing support programming overall)
02
€3.9 billion is allocated under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for investments in social infrastructure including housing support-related actions in 2021-2027
03
France spent €1.25 billion on homelessness-related support in 2022 (overall program budgets reported by the French national homelessness plan reporting)
Interpretation
Policy & Spending Interpretation
Under the Policy and Spending lens, Europe is backing homelessness with major funding commitments such as €3.7 billion from the ESF+ and €3.9 billion from the ERDF for housing and social infrastructure, while France alone spent €1.25 billion on homelessness-related support in 2022.
02 · Category
System Performance7 stats
01
61% of EU countries report a Housing First strategy to varying extents in national policy frameworks (mapping in ETHOS-aligned policy reviews)
02
Housing First reduces shelter stays by 64% compared with treatment-as-usual in a widely cited evaluation synthesis
03
Supportive housing increased housing stability by about 88% in meta-analyses of Housing First-style interventions (housing retention measure summarized in peer-reviewed review)
04
Housing First participants show 2.3 times higher odds of maintaining housing than comparison groups in the At Home/Chez Soi trial (evidence summarized in a peer-reviewed publication)
05
In a randomized trial in Denmark, intensive case management increased housing retention by 20 percentage points over 12 months (peer-reviewed publication)
06
Europe’s “Housing First” approach is used in at least 34 cities across 14 countries (count reported by Housing First Europe coalition mapping)
07
43% of homelessness services in a European NGO survey reported rising demand for shelter beds in 2023 (demand indicator reported in the survey results)
Interpretation
System Performance Interpretation
For system performance, the evidence shows that Housing First is not only widely adopted across Europe with 61% of EU countries reporting it in national policy, but it also consistently improves outcomes, cutting shelter stays by 64% and boosting housing retention by around 88% in meta-analyses.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
€4.8 billion annual cost of homelessness in the EU was estimated for the homelessness/housing exclusion societal cost range in a European Commission-linked study
02
€15,000 per person per year is a commonly reported estimate for high-cost users of homelessness-related emergency services in EU country cost analyses (peer-reviewed synthesis figure range)
03
A systematic review reported that Housing First produces net cost offsets in 70% of included studies (net benefit directionality across cases)
04
In France, the average cost of emergency shelter per person per night is €41 (as reported in national cost accounting referenced in the homelessness plan annexes)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, homelessness is estimated to cost the EU about €4.8 billion per year and with high-cost users averaging €15,000 per person annually, while evidence that Housing First generates net cost offsets in 70% of studies suggests that shifting spending toward Housing First can materially reduce these costs over time.
04 · Category
Prevalence1 stats
01
In Austria, 18,500 people were recorded as homeless in 2023 across services using ETHOS-aligned counting (official Austrian homelessness statistics)
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
In Austria, the ETHOS-aligned prevalence measure shows 18,500 people recorded as homeless in 2023, indicating a substantial level of homelessness at the population level rather than a one-off or limited-time spike.
More related reading
05 · Category
Socioeconomic Context1 stats
01
8.5 million people in the EU were homeless or in housing exclusion (ETHOS-defined “homelessness and housing exclusion”) in 2023, per FEANTSA’s ETHOS-based estimates (methodology paper)
Interpretation
Socioeconomic Context Interpretation
In 2023, 8.5 million people across the EU were homeless or experiencing housing exclusion, underscoring how deeply socioeconomic pressures are driving homelessness in Europe.
06 · Category
Service & Supply2 stats
01
2.8% of the EU workforce (about 8.7 million people) were experiencing severe housing deprivation or homelessness risk linked to low-income housing stress, per EU employment-living conditions linkage analysis
02
In 2023, Ireland’s emergency accommodation capacity averaged 9,800 units nightly, per official Department housing and homelessness capacity monitoring
Interpretation
Service & Supply Interpretation
For the service and supply side, the scale is clear: 2.8% of the EU workforce, about 8.7 million people, face severe housing deprivation or homelessness risk, and Ireland still averaged around 9,800 emergency accommodation units nightly in 2023 to meet demand.
07 · Category
Policy & Funding1 stats
01
In 2021–2027, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) allocates 25% of total budget to social inclusion and combating poverty and social exclusion, including homelessness-related actions
Interpretation
Policy & Funding Interpretation
For the policy and funding angle, the ESF+ is set to dedicate 25% of its total 2021 to 2027 budget to social inclusion and combating poverty, signaling a clear European funding priority for reducing homelessness-related vulnerability.
08 · Category
Outcomes & Effectiveness1 stats
01
A cohort study across 6 European countries reported a 17% reduction in re-entry to emergency shelters after 12 months for people transitioned from shelter to housing support
Interpretation
Outcomes & Effectiveness Interpretation
A cohort study across six European countries found a 17% reduction in re-entry to emergency shelters after 12 months, suggesting that interventions under the Outcomes and Effectiveness category can meaningfully improve housing stability for people transitioning out of shelter.
report visual · Comparison
Housing First adoption and measured impact
Most EU countries report Housing First strategy adoption, and the approach is associated with large reductions in shelter stays and improved housing stability.
Supportive housing increased housing stability by about 88% in meta-analyses of Housing First-style interventions (housi88%
Housing First reduces shelter stays by 64% compared with treatment-as-usual in a widely cited evaluation synthesis
64%
61% of EU countries report a Housing First strategy to varying extents in national policy frameworks (mapping in ETHOS-a
61%
source-verifiedfeantsa.org · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · tandfonline.com
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Homelessness In Europe Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/homelessness-in-europe-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Homelessness In Europe Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/homelessness-in-europe-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Homelessness In Europe Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/homelessness-in-europe-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)