Case study: Transitions from homelessness in the Netherlands

This chapter presents a case study investigating the operation of a policy that aims to transition people experiencing homelessness into independent housing in the Netherlands. Policy challenges are discussed, and protective factors and risk factors are described. The analysis incorporates the perspectives of clients and former clients of social care shelters and protected housing services, as well as those of professional stakeholders. This case study builds on a longitudinal research project that studies deinstitutionalisation and decentralisation of shelters and protected housing across seven Dutch regions. The participants were interviewed a number of times (ranging from two to five times) on a yearly basis between 2018 and 2023. The longitudinal follow-up of the participants sheds light on their personal trajectories over time, including the transition to independent housing and the events that unfolded afterwards. The analysis also includes reflections on particular policy challenges that arise in rural contexts.