The 'Housing First' Assemblage: An Example of 'Rapid Re-Housing for Homeless Families with Children' in the City of Brno

Abstract

Using the example of a Rapid Re-Housing project, this article aims to open up a more general social-scientific debate within the context of critical discussions about ending homelessness in the Czech Republic. It at the same time seeks to refine the usage of the 'urban assemblages' concept in sociological and anthropological research. A Rapid Re-Housing project was piloted in Brno in 2016-2018. Its objective was to house 50 families in need of housing in municipal apartments and to provide social support in the form of intensive case management. The project included a randomised controlled trial and a qualitative evaluation. This research showed that the effects of the intervention were positive for the vast majority of indicators monitored, with some of the intervention families experiencing significant changes in their financial situation. Discussing the effects of the Brno 'housing first assemblage' we respond to to the reservations that have been voiced about the practice of Housing First programmes. We base our responses here on empirical data and the concept of 'relations of exteriority' and show that even projects based on solving 'only one component' can initiate broader socio-material transformations of contemporary societies.