‘Housing First’ Initiative to Shelter, Support 11 People Struggling with Addiction

On Tuesday 3 October 2023, Paulette Lenert, Luxembourg’s Minister of Health, made an official visit to the future “Housing First” structure in Esch-sur-Alzette, dedicated to drug-dependent people with increased medical needs.

This visit marked a step in the implementation of the 2020-2024 government action plan on illicitly acquired drugs and their corollaries (Luxembourg's national drug strategy and action plan 2020-24). With the creation of a Housing First structure, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Health reported that it aims to offer low-threshold accommodation to drug users in medical distress.

“By implementing this housing and support programme, we are working to achieve a high level of protection in terms of public health and social cohesion, thus offering a real chance of stabilisation, recovery and development for all,” said Minister Lenert.

The decision to set up this offer, approved by the ministry, was motivated by the observation that many individuals who benefit from the services of a low-threshold institution helping people suffering from drug addiction in Luxembourg are faced with related health problems and are homeless. In response to this reality, the Housing First structure will aim to offer stabilisation to people suffering from long-standing drug addiction, by offering them a new perspective, secure housing and medical-psycho-social support. According to the ministry, the main objective of this initiative is to initiate an improvement in the beneficiary's state of health, their psycho-social abilities and to encourage their reorientation at the end of their stay. During her visit, Minister Lenert took stock of the transformation and development work on the structure, which is currently in the final phase and whose opening is planned in the coming weeks.

The Housing First structure will offer low-threshold housing to eleven drug users in medical distress, located in the municipality of Esch-sur-Alzette. Minister Lenert noted: “As part of our national plan on drugs and addictions, we are strengthening and developing these initiatives, emphasising the importance of active participation of the municipalities concerned at regional and local levels.” She also praised the work of the Luxembourg Red Cross, which will manage the structure and provide psychosocial and medical support to beneficiaries of all genders. The National Committee for Social Defence (Comité National de Défense Sociale - CNDS) and the organisation and consultation centre for youth struggling with drug addiction, Jugend- an Drogenhëllef (JDH), are an integral part of the steering committee of this initiative, providing their expertise and support to ensure the success of this project. The beneficiaries of the two structures in question will also have access to this new initiative.

This initiative is part of the coordinated package of measures relating to the problem of drug-related crime presented by Luxembourg’s Minister of Health, as well as the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, the Minister of Education, Children and Youth, Claude Meisch, and the Ministers of Justice, Sam Tanson, and Internal Security, Henri Kox, during a joint press conference on 22 October 2021.

Among the specific measures was the establishment of regional supervised housing for chronic psychiatric illnesses and drug-dependent people. The government noted it is determined to support drug-dependent people by offering them concrete solutions to improve their physical and mental health and thereby facilitate their reintegration into social and professional life.