Presentation of first results
EUROCITIES Social Affairs Forum (SAF)
Working group on Homelessness (WGH)Cities' Strategies against Homelessness
Participants
• Copenhagen
• Genoa
• Glasgow
• Helsinki
• Malmö
• Newcastle
• Oslo
• Rotterdam
• Riga
• Stockholm
• Utrecht
• Vienna
• Warsaw
Objective WGH
In order to address the numerous problems
leading to homelessness, the Working Group
on Homeless (WGH) pointed out policy
recommendations based on a comparison and
analysis of cities’ strategies to prevent and
tackle homelessness.
Strategic objectives:
• Overall reduction of the number of homeless people
• Elimination of homelessness for families
• Abolition of long-term homelessness (more than 2 years in transitory institutions)
Operational objectives:
• Developing European quality standards in services for homeless people as well as in services to prevent homelessness and to sustain accommodation
• Identification of good practices on empowerment processes
Designations of measures
Offers for homeless people
Offers for non - homeless people
Temporary programmes to
accommodate homeless people
Support to prevent homelessness
Accompanying programmes Programmes to safeguard sustainable accommodation
Auxiliary programmes
DefinitionsETHOS - European Typology on
Homelessness CONCEPTU
AL
CATEGORY
OPERATIONA
L CATEGORY SUB
CAT
EGO
RY
DESCRIPTION
ROOFLESS
1 2
Living in a public space (no abode) Stay in a night shelter and/ or forced to spend several hours a day in a public space
1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 2.3
Sleeping Rough Contacted by outreach services Low-threshold / direct access shelter Arranged (e.g. low budget hotel) Short-stay hostel
HOUSELESS
3 Homeless hostel / temporary accommodation
3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
Short-stay homeless hostel Temporary housing (no defined time) Temporary housing (transitional defined) Temporary housing (longer stay)
Measures promoting successful housing integration
•Transitory accommodations with specific support (e.g. for target groups) will enable most of the homeless to empower themselves and to stay independently in an own flat at a later time.
•For those who will not be able to live without support even in a long run, specialised longterm accommodations will ensure a life in dignity.
Reasons for success
• The cooperation between municipalities and NGOs is useful to tackle homelessness successfully
• The creation of special task forces is helpful to integrate individuals with special needs
Major obstacles preventing successful integration
•A lack of professional support to people who are endangered to become homeless, will increase the number of homeless. •Accommodation of the homeless without the aim to (re)integrate them to independent housing, is responsible for an increasing number of people concerned.
Conclusion•The problem of homelessness is fact a problem of the whole European society.•The realization of this by public authorities at all political levels is required•National and regional framework conditions can influence the outcome of the practical support measures for the homeless•Cities are more concerned in this issue than rural regions
Recommendations •A clear description of problems, aims and
goals (including time table and financial requirements) efforts is needed.
•The implementation of actions at the local level is a very pragmatic and efficient way to answer new challenges.
•Public private partnership does not mean to take away responsibilities and competences from public authorities to social NGOs !