international homelessness policy and research profile: european union
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Dr Eoin O'Sullivan of Trinity College Dublin presents the European Observatory on Homelessness and homeless research in Europe.TRANSCRIPT
International Homelessness Policy and Research Profile: European Union
Eoin O’Sullivan,School of Social Work and Social Policy,Trinity College Dublin andEuropean Observatory on Homelessness
International Homelessness Policy and Research Profile: European Union
Eoin O’Sullivan,School of Social Work and Social Policy,Trinity College Dublin andEuropean Observatory on Homelessness
At Risk of Poverty after Social Transfers in 2010 (%) w More than 25%
w Between 20-25%
w Between 15-20%
w Less than 15%
20122011
20102009
20082007
20062005
20042003
20022001
20001999
19981997
19961995
19941993
19921991
19901989
19881987
19861985
19841983
19821981
19801979
19781977
19761975
19741973
19711966
19521951
19501946
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
All Homelessness Social Science Research on Homelessness
Scopus Results for Research on Homelessness, 1946-2012
United StatesEuropeCanadaAustraliaBrazilSpainSouth AfricaJapanIndiaNew Zealand0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Scopus Results for Research on Homelessness by Country, 1946-2012
Homelessness Research in the European Union, 1946-2012
United Kingd
omFra
nce
German
y
Netherla
nds
Sweden
Irelan
dIta
ly
Denmark
Czech
Republic
Poland
Belgium
Hungary
Austria
Finlan
d
Norway
Estonia
Portuga
l
Slove
nia
Greece
Romania
Croati
a
Slova
kiaLat
via
Luxe
mbourg0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Homelessness Research in Europe (Excluding the UK)
France
German
y
Netherla
nds
Sweden
Irelan
dIta
ly
Denmark
Czech
Republic
Poland
Belgium
Hungary
Austria
Finlan
d
Norway
Estonia
Portuga
l
Slove
nia
Greece
Romania
Croati
a
Slova
kiaLat
via
Luxe
mbourg0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
United State
s
Europe
Canada
Australia
South Afri
ca
New ZealandJapan
BrazilIndia
Israel
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Top Ten Countries for Social Science Research on Homelessness
United Kingd
omFra
nce
Netherla
nds
Irelan
d
German
ySp
ain
Sweden
Norway
Czech
Republic
Poland
Italy
Switz
erland
Belgium
Hungary
Greece
Denmark
Estonia
Austria
Slove
nia0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Social Science Research on Homelessness in Europe
Social Science Research on Homelessness in Europe (excluding the UK)
France
Netherla
nds
Irelan
d
German
ySp
ain
Sweden
Norway
Czech
Republic
Poland
Italy
Switz
erland
Belgium
Hungary
Greece
Denmark
Estonia
Austria
Slove
nia0
5
10
15
20
25
Publications in the European Journal of Homelessness by Country
Italy
Estonia
Romania
Latvia
Lithuan
iaSp
ain
Belgium
Portuga
l
Croati
a
Czech
Republic
Slove
nia
Finlan
d
Netherla
nds
German
y
Norway
France
Irelan
d
Sweden
Hungary
Denmark
Poland
United Kingd
om EU0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
France
Netherla
nds
Irelan
d
German
ySp
ain
Sweden
Norway
Czech
Republic
Poland
Italy
Switz
erland
Belgium
Hungary
Greece
Denmark
Estonia
Austria
Slove
nia
Portuga
l
Finlan
d
Croati
a
Romania
Latvia
Lithuan
ia0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Europe (Social Science) excluding United Kingdom EJH
Publications in the EJH and Scopus by Country (excluding the UK and EU)
Scopus and EJH Publications on Homelessness in Europew More than 25
w Between 11 and 25 Publications
w Ten Publications or less
Research on Homelessness in Europe
One of the recommendations of the seminar was that:
“the European Commission fund an association of organisations working with homeless people in the member states so that they may consult regularly on issues affecting homeless people, on methods that will secure improvements in the conditions of homeless people and advise the Commission on policy that will improve the conditions of homeless people.”
This recommendation led to the establishment of the Federation Europeenne d’Associations Nationales Travaillant avec les Sans Abris (FEANTSA) in 1989 and in 1991 the European Observatory on Homelessness.
Research Output of the European Observatory on Homelessness, 1991-
European Journal of Homelessness, 2007-
The aim is to stimulate debate on homelessness and housing exclusion at the European level and to facilitate the development of a stronger evidential base for policy development and innovation.
The European Journal of Homelessness publishes two editions per year. The first edition of each year is a themed edition, largely based on the theme of the annual research conference of the previous year, which the European Observatory on Homelessness and its partners organise each year. The second edition is open to all contributions that address dimensions of homelessness in Europe.
EOH Comparative Studies on Homelessness, 2011-
A new series of the European Observatory of Homelessness (EOH) that explores pan-European issues in homelessness through the use of a questionnaire sent to a group of national experts
ETHOS - European Typology on Homelessness and Housing Exclusion
ETHOS categories attempt to cover all living situations which amount to forms of homelessness across Europe:
rooflessness (without a shelter of any kind, sleeping rough)
houselessness (with a place to sleep but temporary in institutions or shelter)
living in insecure housing (threatened with severe exclusion due to insecure tenancies, eviction, domestic violence)
living in inadequate housing (in caravans on illegal campsites, in unfit housing, in extreme overcrowding).
The Role of the European Commission
EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY AND THE ECCH
Europe 2020 is the EU's growth strategy for the coming decade….EU to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. These three mutually reinforcing priorities should help the EU and the Member States deliver high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion….the Union has set five ambitious objectives - on employment, innovation, education, social inclusion and climate/energy - to be reached by 2020.
A key initiative of the 2020 strategy is the European Platform against poverty and social exclusion, which sets out actions to reach the EU target of reducing poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million by 2020.
The Commission aims to “identify methods and means to best continue the work initiated on homelessness and housing exclusion, taking into account the outcome of the consensus conference of December 2010.”
The European Consensus Conference on Homelessness, a Belgian Presidency initiative, with FEANTSA, has helped lay the foundation for a possible EU strategy on Homelessness.
EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY AND THE ECCH
On the basis of expert evidence, an independent jury drew conclusions on key questions concerning homeless policies.
The Jury stated that homelessness violates the fundamental human rights and ongoing prevention in the national and regional context should be secured;
that a major shift from shelters and transitional accommodation to ’housing led’ approaches is needed as a sustainable solution;
that homeless people should be empowered to participate in decision-making related to their issues, and to fight a usual view of homeless people as passive recipients of help;
called for an integrated approach to migrants and EU citizens facing homelessness as a result of access barriers relating to legal or administrative status.
EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY AND THE ECCH
The European Parliament drew upon the jury’s recommendations on the 14th September 2011 when it adopted a Resolution calling for an integrated EU homelessness strategy to monitor, support and coordinate the development of national homelessness strategies.
It also called on the Commission to establish a working group for an EU homelessness strategy and to involve all stakeholders in the fight against homelessness;
called for the European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion (ETHOS) to be taken into consideration in developing an EU strategy;
called on the Social Protection Committee and its indicators sub-group to promote agreement amongst Member States on applying this definition;
called on EUROSTAT to collect EU homelessness data in the framework of the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC);
Called for a framework, agreed by the Commission and the Member States for monitoring the development of national and regional homelessness strategies, as a central element of the EU homelessness strategy; calls in this context for an annual or bi-annual reporting strategy to report on progress.
Roundtable meeting of Ministers with Responsibility for Homelessness, Leuven, Belgium, 2013
The meeting agreed six principles that should inform homelessness policy across Europe. These principles are:
Principle 1 (Develop and Share Knowledge and Best Practice)Recognition of need to develop and share knowledge about homelessness so as to greatly improve the quality of homelessness responses at a national, regional, and local level.
Principle 2 (Core Elements for Response)Acknowledge that housing-led approaches to homelessness which prioritise access to affordable, long-term stable housing solutions, are one of the most effective responses to homelessness. Also acknowledged that prevention is crucial.
Principle 3 (Funding)An adequate level of funding to confront homelessness and enable continuous, high-quality provision of services, involving private investors, partnerships and collaborative approaches, if possible, should be provided. Better utilisation of EU financing instruments to combat homelessness should be encouraged.
Roundtable meeting of Ministers with Responsibility for Homelessness, Leuven, Belgium, 2013
Principle 4 (Common Reference Framework)A comprehensive reference framework for homelessness can improve the capacity for data collection, comparison and analysis
Principle 5 (Research, Innovation and Data Collection)A better understanding of the homelessness phenomenon would result in improved, evidence-based policies and enhanced responses to homelessness. Research and ongoing development of knowledge, and innovative approaches to the problem are required.
Principle 6 (Implementation and Monitoring)The development and implementation of national homelessness plans should be monitored and advice and expertise should be made available where required.
Measuring Homelessness in Europew Broad Acceptance of the Ethos
definition
w Broad definition for research purposes
w More restrictive definition
w No standardised definition
Increases in Homelessness over the past 5 years?w Increase
w Decrease
w Stability
The Extent of Housing Led Policies and Practices in Europew Housing Led with Support the
dominant model
w Housing Led Strategy adopted, but not an operational reality
w Supported Housing widespread, but a staircase model remains central
w Housing Led Strategies not widely adopted
Strategies to Tackle Homelessness in Europew National Level Integrated Strategies
w Regional Level Integrated Strategies
w Integrated Strategies not widely adopted
A Right to Housing in Europe?
w Yes
w No
Legislation Criminalizing Homelessness / Begging in Europe
w National Level Criminalizing Vagrancy / Begging
w National level Legislation Criminalising Aggressive / Exploitative
w Regional Level Legislation Criminalising Aggressive / Exploitative Begging
w No Legislation
Summary
• The instruments of social inclusion, and the scale and coverage of welfare provision are not uniform across the EU. There is some evidence that the more generous welfare regimes may be more likely to protect citizens from entering at least some forms of homelessness.
• Generous welfare regimes are also less likely to utilise the criminal justice system, as a means of managing socially and economically marginal households.
• Our knowledge remains very uneven. with a lack of data and understanding on some aspects of homelessness. More crucially, there is relatively little research in the South and in the Central and East European member states.
• While the predominant users of services for homeless people are still single men, growing proportions of women, of younger people and of families with children are reported and - especially in Western Europe –a growing number of migrants from Central and Eastern Europe and from outside the European Union.
• Existing services for homeless people in Europe are still to a large extent directed at covering the most urgent and basic needs and Housing First /Led policies are still in their infancy.
• Further information on the EoH can be found at:• www.feantsaresearch.org