April 2016
Dear FEANTSA Flash reader,
Welcome to the latest edition of the FEANTSA Flash. We hope you find it an informative and interesting read. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have a story you would like to see included in the next edition.
Happy reading,
Emma Nolan, FEANTSA Communications & Information Officer
Read ahead to:
|
|
|
Less than 1 month left to register for the FEANTSA Policy Conference: 9-10 June, Brussels, Belgium
The places at the FEANTSA annual policy conference are filling up fast with registrations closing on 23 May – so if you are planning to attend, make sure you register soon! The conference is the largest European event of the year for the homeless sector and will showcase various innovative practices to address the causes and symptoms of homelessness, and stimulate political debate on current and future challenges. Click here for the programme and to register.
|
|
All calls for applications for FEANTSA Working Groups open
The calls for applications to all of FEANTSA’s Working Groups (Employment, Health, Housing, Migration, Participation and Right to Housing) have now been opened. All FEANTSA members should have received an email about this. If not, please contact Emma Nolan.
Invitation to FEANTSA GA, elections to AC and Presidency
All full and associate FEANTSA members should have received an invitation to the FEANTSA General Assembly, which will take place on 11 June in Brussels, Belgium. Members should have also received an invitation to submit nominations for President of FEANTSA, the Executive Committee and Administrative Council. Please contact Emma Nolan if you are a full or associate member of FEANTSA and have not received these invitations.
Launch of a the Written Declaration on homelessness by MEP Neena Gill
This week the European Parliament launched a Written Declaration calling for an EU Action Plan to end Homelessness. This provides an opportune time for you or your organization to lobby your MEPs on the issue of homelessness. For the Written Declaration to be successful, it will require the signature of 376 MEPs before 27 July 2016 and we need your support. FEANTSA encourages you to make contact with your MEPs to discuss the importance of EU Action on homelessness and to encourage them to sign the Declaration. If you would like to support this cause you can also contact our policy officer Robbie Stakelum who can provide you some materials and contact lists.
Peer Review in Belgium: Housing First
FEANTSA participated in a Housing First (HF) peer review held in Belgium in March. The peer review aimed to identify the strategies which are most effective and that have the strongest impact on homelessness. The HF model provides ordinary housing and comprehensive support for long-term homeless people with mental health or addiction problems. In Belgium nine cities have adopted the HF model, and the experimental phase is set to end in June 2016. The results have shown that the tenants had better physical and mental health after they were housed, and also found it easier to feel included in society. FEANTSA also contributed to the peer review by writing a Comments Paper which included information about the countries that have adopted the HF model, the main measures of HF, and elements of the Belgian HF practice that could be of learning value for other countries. Click here to read more.
Thematic meeting in preparation for Habitat III
FEANTSA participated in a thematic meeting in Barcelona that was part of the preparation of the UN Habitat III conference in Quito this October. The meeting dealt with the use of public space; therefore, it was vital to have a homelessness perspective. The outcome of the meeting was the Barcelona Declaration. The declaration included points related to the accessibility of homeless people to public space, and fair and effective housing policies to tackle homelessness. To learn more about the event, click here.
|
|
|
Europe News
New statistics on housing affordability in EU cities
The spring edition of Panorama, a magazine published by the European Commission featured results of a survey that evaluated European urban life. One of the evaluated areas was housing affordability. The results showed that finding housing at a reasonable price was challenging in over half of the cities that were surveyed. It was particularly difficult to find reasonable housing prices in capital cities. In the survey, the highest number of unfavourable results was found in the cities of Stockholm and Geneva. Click here to see the full table on page 27.
Declaration of capital cities of EU member states on the EU Urban Agenda calls for homelessness to be priority issue
On 21 April, the mayors of the EU’s capital cities issued a declaration on the EU Urban Agenda and the refugee crisis. The primary goal of the EU Urban Agenda is to improve the implementation of European policies and instruments that address the major societal challenges in Europe, while taking into consideration the needs of European cities. They have declared that homelessness needs to be effectively addressed, and fair housing prices need to be maintained. Moreover, primary services such as housing need to be urgently provided to the refugees.
|
|
|
Hungarian bill opposing the criminalization of living in public space
The NGO ‘City is for All’ and Dr. Bernadett Szél from the ‘Politics Can Be Different’ Party (Lehet Más a Politika, LMP) have proposed a bill for the Hungarian government to withdraw the current regulation concerning public space. The regulation in place defines living in public spaces as an offence. In the proposal they state that people living in public spaces are suffering due to this regulation and they ask the Hungarian government to reevaluate it, given that the criminalisation of living in a public space does not resolve the problem of homelessness, and it violates Hungarian law. Moreover, a large sum of money has been used to persecute the homeless, when it could have been put to better use. Instead of criminalizing homelessness, they called for the government to target their efforts to prevent homelessness, and support the currently homeless.
New report on poverty from the Danish National Centre for Social Research (SFI)
The report has found that despite poverty having been abolished in Denmark, there are still people in who are suffering economically and are socially deprived. The report made a distinction between those who are economically poor and those who are financially poor. In the report, different factors are weighed, and comparisons between the poor and the not-economically poor are made. Experts have said that although all the Danish political parties agree when it comes to equality of opportunity, the study shows that equality has not yet been achieved. Therefore, it was recommended by the experts for there to be a holistic political approach when it comes to tackling Danish poverty. Click here to read more (in Danish).
Malta’s president calls for up-to-date statistics on homelessness
|
|
President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca inaugurated ‘Dar Niki Cassar’ a YMCA shelter for the homeless in Msida. During her visit she called for up-to-date statistics on homelessness in Malta. She said that accurate figures would provide the government with a real picture of the homelessness situation. Moreover, the President added that homelessness is not the problem of some individuals, but of the society as a whole. Click here to read more.
Rise in the number of homeless Scottish children
Recent figures show that over 5,000 children are homeless in Scotland. Shelter Scotland has claimed that a large amount of the homeless children are staying in temporary accommodation for long periods. Housing activists and opposition politicians have all said that this is the third consecutive year where the number of homeless children has risen. Click here to read more about homeless children in Scotland, and here to see the quarterly update on homelessness in Scotland.
New homelessness observatory in Paris
Following the creation of a single social monitoring body in 2010, a new homelessness observatory in Paris has been formed. The observatory will be used to mobilize and organize the existing data, and act as an expert that can provide advice for various national bodies in France. Moreover, it will be used to develop the current knowledge on accommodation, and on the integration of the homeless in Paris. The observatory will also monitor the public concern for homelessness, and the supply of accommodation. Also, it can be used to create partnerships with the health and social assistance sectors.
Census to cover homelessness in Irish hotels
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) in Ireland will be developing a census to identify the number of people living in emergency accommodation. In Ireland the most recent figures from January 2016 show that around 884 families with 1,830 children are living in emergency accommodation. The homeless families living in hotels and B&Bs will be included in this census, their addition is what makes this census different from the one in 2011. Moreover, rough sleepers will also be counted. CSO will work with agencies such as Focus Ireland to ensure that the forms are hand-delivered to all the families currently residing in emergency accommodation. Once the data is collected, the circumstances the families are living in will also be identified. The results are due to be published in July, with a full report in April 2017.
Eastern Europe’s only LGBT homeless shelter saved from closure
An emergency shelter in Warsaw, Eastern Europe’s only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender homeless shelter has been saved from closure. Due to the support of an international campaign led by LGBT equality organisation ‘All Out’, they were able to raise $60,000 through donations from about 2,900 people. Currently the shelter is searching for permanent funding. Watch the video made by the centre’s staff and residents here.
Homelessness in Poland continues to increasing
In Poland homelessness continues to be a major social issue. A few years ago there were about 10,000 people who were roofless; the number in 2015 has gone up to 36,000. Currently, there are more than 7,000 homeless women and children. The number of homeless women is substantially lower, as men make about 80% of the homeless population in Poland. The Polish Deputy Minister of Family, Work and Social Policy, Elizabeth Bojanowska, stated that the main cause of homelessness is eviction (53% reporting so) with, around 43% leaving their homes due to family problems, 31% due to addiction, and 26% due to unemployment. Click here to read more (in Polish).
Arts and Homelessness movement
Streetwise Opera are launching a consultation to start the first international arts and homelessness movement. Their plan is to launch the movement in the summer of 2016 at a special event in Rio de Janerio. Currently there are over 50 projects globally that use art to support homeless people, but these projects do not have a movement nor a network to coordinate their actions. The Streetwise Opera movement will focus on the Olympics, but it will also include work from different artistic genres and locations. You can now contribute until 25 May to a consultation on the movement’s proposed aims and activities by clicking here.
Member News
Homeless guidelines published by the Italian government
The Italian government has published guidelines to tackle homelessness at a national level. The guidelines were ratified on 5 November 2015. The guiding principles were formed through a bottom-up process with the contribution of various actors that work on homelessness at different levels. FEANTSA’s member, fio.PSD, sees these guidelines as a positive step forwards that synthesises the knowledge and practices in Italy. In these guidelines, the regions and the state plan to take action to combat poverty and homelessness. In the document attention was also drawn to the civil and social rights of the Italian citizens. Moreover, a section was dedicated to measures and practices that are implemented in Italy to counter the different categories of homelessness. Fio.PSD sees that these guidelines can promote the commitment of institutions to take effective actions to fight homelessness. Click here to read more about the guidelines, and here to read more about fio.PSD’s position on the topic (published on the FEANTSA website).
Simon Communities: Numbers in emergency accommodation nationally have increased by 49%
The latest figures gathered by Simon Communities concerning homelessness in Ireland are alarming, and demonstrate that existing measures are failing. The national figures show that 5,881 people are living in emergency accommodation, out of which 1,881 are children and 912 are families. The increase in the number of homeless children and families has been growing yearly by over 100%. The Simon Communities have called for effective and urgent short and long-term political measures to be taken to aid those who are homeless, and to prevent more people from experiencing homelessness.
Arrels attended 1,800 people homeless in 2015, 12% more than in 2014
The Arrels Foundation is a grassroots initiative that supports homeless people that are living on the street and this year it has served 1,798 homeless people. In their recent report, they have stated that this year they have conducted 4,920 street visits, in which they helped about 550 homeless people from 32 countries. The foundation aids people who are homeless by providing services, such as meals, showers and lockers, as well as psychological support. It also accompanies people who are homeless to the doctor.
|
|
|
European Journal of Homelessness, Volume 9, No. 2
Volume 9, Number 2 of the European Journal of Homelessness is now available online and in print. To order a copy, please contact information@feantsa.org.
Comparative Study on Local Connection Rules and Access to Homelessness Services in Europe
The fifth book in the European Observatory on Homelessness Comprative Study series is now online and in print. To order a copy, please contact information@feantsa.org.
Book by Lotten Säfström: I Only Wanted to Dance & Now the Dance has Begun
|
|
The books ‘I Only Wanted to Dance’ and ‘Now the Dance has Begun’ by Lotten Säfström are now available in both Swedish and English. They are autobiographies that capture the life of a homeless women suffering from addiction. It also talks about how a substance-free life style can be built. Lotten is now advocating for strategies to help people suffering from addiction, and encouraging schools to give their students more information about health and responsibility. You can learn more about her story by clicking here.
Crisis reviews homelessness legislation
Crisis has developed a report through the contribution of homelessness experts, which reviews the homelessness legislation in the UK. The aim of the review is to evaluate the legislative change to prevent and tackle homelessness. The areas evaluated include homelessness legislation in England, the impact of the current legislation on single homeless people, and recent changes to homelessness legislation in the UK. After evaluating the strategies in place, Crisis proposed an alternative homelessness legislation. The model proposed by Crisis would ensure that local authorities provide effective assistance and for them to be held accountable. Moreover, this model has a stronger focus on prevention work in comparison to the current legislation in place. Click here to read more.
|
|
2016 FEANTSA Policy Conference
The 2016 FEANTSA Policy Conference – “Winning the Fight against Homelessness” will take place on 9-10 June 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Click here to register.
11th Research Conference on "Homelessness and Social Work in Europe"
The European Observatory on Homelessness will hold its 11th Research Conference on 23 September 2016 - Copenhagen, Denmark. Registration coming soon.
FEANTSA members are invited to be part of the Social Inclusion Games
The Social Inclusion Games in Netherlands will take place in the summer of 2017. The games are specially designed for socially marginalised people. It will be an opportunity to discuss your experiences, and share your best practices with other European partners. In the past the games have drawn more than 1000 people from all over Europe. The deadline to apply to be part of the event is 9 May 2016. We encourage you to apply now! For more information and to apply, please contact: y.hummels@humod.nl
Save the date: 7-9 July: International conference on Housing First
The second International Conference on Housing First will be held on the campus of the University of Limerick, Ireland on 7-9 July 2016. They invite practitioners, service providers, policy makers, researchers, scholars and, importantly, service users to attend. Registration will open on or around 1 April. Click here for more information.
Save the date: June 20-21: Towards cost-effective housing policies conference
On June 20 and 21, in Brussels, an international conference will be organised on moving towards cost-effective housing policies in Europe. Day 1 will be oriented towards an international audience (in English) while day 2 will focus on the Flemish case and a Flemish audience (mostly in Dutch). Researchers will present a framework that can be a tool for preparing cost-effective housing policies and discussions with stakeholders. This framework will be discussed by invited speakers. Also an overview of recent developments of housing policy changes in Europe and some in-depth country case studies are on the programme. Click here for more information.
|
|
|
|
