December 2019
Welcome to the last 2019 edition of the Flash !
Before you enjoy your well-deserved break (hopefully), we’re happy to share the last updates of the year. We’ve had events galore this month, the European Commission has started to take shape and EPSCO has put some focus on the issues of housing and homelessness. We’ll just leave it there for the introduction, and let you read all about it lower down.
As always, feel free to send us some tips for the next edition of the Flash by clicking the button below.
Read ahead:
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FEANTSA Youth Lunchtime Webinar Series
Between January & May 2020 FEANTSA is organising a monthly webinar with our FEANTSA Youth Network. In each 60-minute webinar two experts will present on a topic related to youth homelessness and time will be allotted to ask questions to each of the speakers. Here you can find more information about each webinar and a link for more details and how to register.
For additional information you can contact Robbie Stakelum.
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50 Solutions event
Housing Solutions Platform presented their new publication ‘50 Out-of-the-Box Housing Solutions’ in the European Parliament and opened the floor for a discussion of the included projects and approaches. Debate was plentiful but all could agree that more diversity in supply of affordable housing is urgently needed.
Energy Poverty report launched at European Parliament
Will the Green New Deal work for All? On Monday December 9th, FEANTSA and the Fondation Abbé Pierre launched their joint thematic report on energy poverty. We took to the European Parliament to discuss energy poverty, energy democracy and the just transition. Read the event report and find the Energy Poverty report here.
Solutions to Homelessness for EU Citizens
We were in London for Crisis, FEANTSA, and the Public Interest Law Centre roundtable discussion on solutions to homelessness for mobile EU citizens (or EEA migrants). This event is organised within the framework of FEANTSA project – Protecting the Rights of Destitute Mobile EU Citizens (PRODEC). The event was followed by a visit to Crisis’ Croydon Skylight where they presented their MEAS (Migrant Employment and Accomodation Service) project.
Health and Participation Cluster Meeting Study visit – Peer work in the homelessness sector
FEANTSA’s Health and Participation cluster met in London for study visits with Pathway and Groundswell in which we learnt about and exchanged best practices for peer work in the homeless sector. The participation of people with experience of homelessness is fundamental to the work of both organisations – find out exactly how in our winter magazine.
Event on Women’s Homelessness & Gender-Based Violence
The PIE4shelters project event, co-hosted by AMA and CVFE, reached out to support services for homeless women in Brussels and Belgium. Around 50 participants learnt about the various trajectories of homeless women in relation to Gender-based Violence from Patrick Italiano, University of Liege, and about how Psychologically Informed Environments can provide an evidence-based approach to improve responses for women who experience(d) GBV and homelessness from CVFE.
The "Working Poor" and EU Free Movement: The Notion of "Worker" in the Context of Low-wage and Low-hour Employment – Seminar at European Parliament
As a follow-up to the report on the notion of worker in the context of low-wage and low-hour employment for mobile EU citizens, FEANTSA organised this seminar inviting stakeholders to have an exchange on this topic and also to have the opportunity to present and discuss the main results of the report. Find the event report here.
PIE4shelters Guide available online
The new PIE4shelters Guide is a hands-on tool to improve service response for women with experience of homelessness & Gender-Based Violence. The Guide provides a comprehensive resource collection and the PIE4shelters Training Framework, a series of presentations which services can use to train staff on psychologically, trauma and gender informed service provision. The English version of the Guide is available here. The French, Italian and Hungarian versions will be available soon on the project website.
Housing Rights Watch Seminar: “Instruments for advocacy and litigation on Housing Rights”
On 11th December, Housing Rights Watch held a seminar in Warsaw on advocacy and litigation on Housing Rights within the Polish context. The event took place at Caritas Warsaw Headquarters. Lecturers included Professors Ryszard Szarfenberg and Adam Ploszka from the University of Warsaw, Kamilla Dołowska a representative from the Polish Ombudsman’s office, and Beata Siemieniako, a lawyer and activist interested in human rights and housing issues.
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Homeless in Europe Magazine
The Winter edition of the Homeless in Europe Magazine focuses on health and homelessness. The magazine provides some insight on the realities of homelessness when it comes to physical, sexual and mental health, through the eyes of practitioners. Articles cover a large array of topics such as Housing First and mental illness, the state of health of the Hungarian homeless population, child adversity, cognitive dysfunction, sexuality and sexual health, just to name a few. Read it here.
50 Out-of-the-Box Housing Solutions to Homelessness & Housing Exclusion
Widespread increases in housing prices and cuts to social budgets mean more and more people in Europe are being “locked out” of the housing market. To show that there are plenty of different ways of providing safe and affordable housing, the Housing Solutions Platform has published a compendium of some of the most innovative and daring examples of housing solutions for the locked out in Europe. Find out more here.
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“Salvation Army warns of winter deaths as homeless numbers rise”
Their call is not just for Christmas. The charity is calling for urgent investment in support services to prevent people falling into what it calls “the rough sleeping trap” following years of rising demand for places in its shelters. Read more here.
Provivienda release 2nd ‘Cuando la casa nos enferma’ (When the huose makes us sick) report
The report finds that people with housing problems suffer ten times the risk of having health problems and that people who are affected have up to two times more serious psychological distress. Read more.
Unafo holds 19th National Meeting in Rennes and Celebrates 40th Year
Unafo brought together nearly 400 participants on December 3 and 4, 2019 to discuss the topic "Our ambitions for supported housing". Our policy officer Ruth Owen gave a presentation on European insights on the policy of supported housing and affordable housing. Find the event overview and video clips of the presentations here.
Shelter find a child becomes homeless every 8 minutes in UK
Shelter’s new report, ‘Generation Homeless’, shows a staggering 135,000 children in Britain are homeless and living in temporary accommodation – the highest number in 12 years.
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HomeLab: Project Closure and Final Conference
The HomeLab project, working on secure housing and employment opportunities for vulnerable and low-income groups in the Visegrad Four countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia), has come to its end. After three years of intense work, analysis, and local development the project ended in September 2019. In five pilots, across very diverse Central and Eastern European locations, the project has engaged partners and stakeholders, fostered social innovation, and set up a locally adapted Social Rental Enterprise (SRE) model. Read the final newsletter.
A Way Home Inspiration Days 18 & 19 February: Preventing Youth Homelessness
Leaving care - and other moments of transition – often puts young adults in vulnerable situations. They face exclusion from care, sustainable housing, work, education, and have a higher risk of becoming homeless. It is time for action against this violation of human rights. As project partners, we invite policy makers, service providers, researchers and networks to the A Way Home inspiration days to build coalitions to prevent and end youth exclusion in the EU. See the final program and register.
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Commission takes shape
DG EMPL remains intact under the Von der Leyen Commission. Commissioner Nicolas Schmit loses the important Eurostat portfolio but will have plenty of work with the new European Labour Authority. Also new - he will have to share units working on equality with Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli.
EPSCO recognises housing is key to employment
On 5th December, EPSCO (Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council configuration, bringing together ministers responsible for employment, social affairs, health and consumer policy from all EU member states) met on inclusive labour markets. EPSCO concluded that a cross-sectoral approach is needed to tackle the employment of vulnerable people, which would include housing. It’s the first time that housing is recognised as a key factor to exiting unemployment.
EPSCO discusses Homelessness and Housing, with contribution from FEANTSA
On 10th December, the EPSCO discussed the “Housing situation in the EU: Review of tackling homelessness and housing exclusion”. The Chair of the Social Protection Committee gave a report to the EPSCO members, based on a Thematic Review that took place in the Autumn under the Finnish Presidency, and where FEANTSA made an expert contribution.
13th December – Médecins du Monde publish new report ‘Left Behind: The State of Universal Healthcare Coverage in Europe’
The report provides a solid analysis of the health situation of the most vulnerable parts of the population in Europe – including a focus on those experiencing homelessness – which are usually not captured in official statistics and provides recommendations to the European Commission and member states.
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“Half of all homeless people may have had traumatic brain injury”
New large study, compiling results from 6 high-income countries – Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, UK & US – finds that 53% of homeless people have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) (up to four times more than the general population). Researchers say an evaluation of the results is key to understanding the unique challenges and health-care needs of the population. Read the Guardian report or the full paper.
New York City pays homeless people to live elsewhere
Newark, a neighbouring town that receives thousands of homeless people from the Big Apple, is suing its mayor. Slate reports that since 2017, New York has paid for 3,000 homeless families to leave the city, often into inadequate housing and without a follow-up.
Public Authorities overwhelmed by the number of young homeless mothers
Maternity hospitals say they are overwhelmed by women who recently gave birth and sleeping in their corridors and the birth of babies on the street is a growing phenomenon. Due to a total saturation of emergency accommodation more and more pregnant women and young mothers are finding themselves on the street, finds LeMonde.
Saint-Ouen, France: the strange life of the homeless students of Joséphine-Baker college
The teachers of the Saint-Ouen establishment demonstrated outside of the town hall for “a roof for all [their] students.” They spoke out for those children, aged 11 to 13, attending class during the day, as if nothing had happened, after spending the night outside or on makeshift benches at the entrance to the emergency rooms of several hospitals. Le Parisien reports.
The Supreme Court cancels the sale of 3,000 social housing units to Goldman Sachs-Azora in Madrid
In 2013, the Community of Madrid had sold approx. 3000 public housing units to Goldman Sachs. A tenant filed an appeal concerning the transfer of the lease contract, which then had as a consequence the annulment of the sales deal. El Confidencial has the story.
National ombudsman: the government must intervene in the event of homelessness
In the Netherlands the number of homeless people between ages 18-30 has tripled to more than 12,000 in the last 3 years. "The whole problem can be summarised w the fact that there is simply not enough suitable living space available in the Netherlands." The National Ombudsman & Ombudsman for Children call on government to intervene in housing and homelessness issues.
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