The COMHOM Consortium gathered in Athens from 2 to 4 December 2025 for a three-day meeting that marked a key milestone in the project’s implementation. Representatives from all partner organisations were present, creating a highly collaborative environment to assess progress, align strategic priorities, and strengthen the foundations for the next phase of work.
The meeting opened with detailed progress presentations from each partner to the External Advisory Board (EAB). The EAB provided constructive feedback on the project’s achievements so far and offered guidance on methodological, technical, and strategic aspects, helping partners refine their approaches for the months ahead.
Throughout the meeting, a series of Living Lab sessions – led by different project partners – created structured spaces for joint reflection and co-creation. These sessions focused on essential components of the project, including the development of the Monitoring and Evaluation framework, data collection approaches, and early design considerations for the COMHOM digital platform. Partners and subgrantees worked together on shared challenges, exchanged perspectives from their national contexts, and identified common needs to support future implementation.
A significant part of the three-day meeting was devoted to the Capacity Building Programme for the 25 subgrantees selected under the first COMHOM call. Subgrantees travelled to Athens to introduce their organisations, present their projects, and engage directly with the Consortium. The M&E framework was presented, followed by a Living Lab session aimed at gathering partners’ expectations of the project and addressing their questions and concerns. The project implementation plan was also introduced, together with an overview of all partners and the collaborations they would be involved in throughout the project. This first in-person exchange laid out an important foundation for cooperation between subgrantees and the Consortium teams supporting them.
Partners also participated in two study visits to PRAKSIS centres in Athens; the Community Center in Athens and the Day Center in Piraeus. The visits offered first-hand insight into the organisation’s outstanding work with people experiencing homelessness, allowing participants to better understand operational realities and innovative practices at local level. The experience reinforced the relevance of COMHOM’s approach and inspired discussions on the project’s strategic direction.
Across all sessions, the Athens meeting proved to be a productive and energising moment for the Consortium. It strengthened collaboration, provided clarity on the next steps, deepened engagement with subgrantees, and reinforced the shared commitment to advancing digital and data-driven solutions to combat homelessness across Europe. With this strong momentum, the Consortium is well prepared to move into the next phase of the project.
The COMHOM project has received funding from the European Union’s European Social Fund (ESF+) under Grant Agreement No. 101172624