Hello and welcome (back) to the FEANTSA Flash! 

We have been busy, and are proud to share our work with you. In addition to the usual news, we have a new section this month concerning employment in our sector. Do have a peek at it!

Read ahead:

FEANTSA at 30 – Towards 2030: Annual Policy Conference 
Porto, May 30th - 31st May – FEANTSA will be holding its annual policy conference together with Norte Vida, Portuguese Presidency, the Municipality of Porto, and Porto tourism.  
Registrations are open until 17th May. The event is highly popular and tickets are selling out fast. We recommend you register soon to ensure you will have a place at dinners and the workshops of your choice. 
We particularly encourage FEANTSA members to register immediately. 

Training on LGBTIQ homelessness 
Vilanova de Gaia, 30th May - FEANTSA will host a training session on LGBTIQ homelessness. The session will explore the unique needs of the LGBTIQ population and examine how homeless services can best respond to these needs. During the seminar participants will hear from leading international experts on the topic of LGBTIQ homelessness. We will also hear from existing services in Europe who provide a dedicated service to LGBTIQ youth experiencing homelessness & the Rock Trust in Scotland who are evaluating how best their service can support vulnerable LGBTIQ youth. Click here for more information or contact Robbie Stakelum.

Save the date - HSP debate 
Lyon, 5th June - The Housing Solutions Platform will be holding an HSP Debate at the International Social Housing Festival. Based on this month’s Call for 50 Out-of-the-Box Housing Solutions, the workshop will bring together cross-sectoral actors to discuss the most innovative housing solutions in Europe today, and look at the main deficiencies that require tackling. 

Save the date – FEANTSA Youth Study Session 
Budapest, November 2019- FEANTSA is proud to partner with ILGA-Europe & True Colours United to host this year's study session with the Council of Europe's Youth Department, which will focus on LGBTIQ homelessness and how homeless services and the LGBTIQ community can work together to prevent and end LGBTIQ homelessness. Our five-day training course will provide the opportunity to deep dive on LGBTIQ homelessness and co-create solutions between homeless and LGBTIQ services. For more information please contact Robbie Stakelum. 
 

Fourth Overview of Housing Exclusion in Europe 2019 
Brussels, 22nd March – FEANTSA and Fondation Abbé Pierre launched their joint report, the Fourth Overview of Housing Exclusion in Europe, at the European Economic and Social Committee. In addition to setting an overall picture of housing exclusion and homelessness in Europe, the report analysed the state of emergency accommodations in Europe. Furthermore, it presented a more in-depth focus analysis of 4 EU States: Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal. Consult and download the full report here. A second presentation of the report will be taking place in Paris on 3rd April.  

The PIE4shelters Training Guideline draft version is ready! 
The guideline provides in-depth training on Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE). The 1-day training sessions will involve frontline and management staff working with homeless services and organisations focused on GBV (gender-based violence). The training will introduce staff to the PIE approach, contribute to the understanding of gender-based violence and explain how it relates to women's homelessness. PIE allows to recognise the consequences of trauma and tailor homelessness services for female service users. 
The Guideline provides content on six key elements and practical guidance for reflection and organisational change. The final version of the Guideline will be available in autumn. Find out more here.  

 

 

Call for Papers: Research conference on homelessness in Europe – DEADLINE TODAY 
The evaluation committe of the 14th Annual European Research Conference on Homelessness hosted by FEANTSA’s  European Observatory on Homelessness, Lund University and the City of Helsingborg is still accepting calls for papers until today.  
Europe’s leading research conference on homelessness will explore recent evidence on the broad theme of ‘homelessness and housing exclusion’ from across Europe and elsewhere. Early career researchers are also invited to present their research activities. More details about the call can be found here.  

Call for 50 Housing Solutions 
The Housing Solutions Platform is publishing a collection of the most innovative and daring examples of housing solutions for those locked out of Europe. The aim is to encourage stakeholders to be more innovative in the provision of affordable housing solutions. The 50 best solutions will be chosen by a panel of judges and published with financial support from the King Baudouin Foundation and the Y-Foundation. Find out more about the call and the steering committee here.  

Present your innovative housing solution through this application form.  

FEANTSA Policy statement: The EU Roma Framework beyond 2020 The EU Roma Framework has so far proved ineffective in terms of access to adequate housing for Roma. Besides challenging discrimination in housing, access to adequate, affordable and integrated housing can be a game-changer in tackling other forms of discrimination and exclusion experienced by Roma. Moreover, there are certain issues FEANTSA would like to raise for the strategy after 2020. Read FEANTSA ’s policy paper here. 


Portugal’s National Homelessness Strategy publish recent data 
The Monitoring Unit of the National Homelessness Strategy of Portugal (ENIPSSA) has published results of a recent online survey, which aimed to identify the extent of homelessness in reference to FEANTSA’s ETHOS typology. The results, collected in 2018, inform us that 3396 people were roofless or in a houseless situation while 11,113 people were living in insecure or inadequate accommodation. Click here for the full report (in Portuguese).

 

 

St Mungo’s launch 3-year-strategy for women 
Women face disproportionate risk of harm from people they love and trust as well as the dangers of homelessness. Expecting women to thrive in traditional, male-dominated homelessness services is not good enough, says St Mungo’s. That’s why they launched a strategy to equip themselves to achieve equally positive outcomes with female clients. St Mungo’s new strategic aims are designed to ensure their female clients have a safe place to live and feel safe in their services, as a foundation to their recovery.   

 

“The Anti-homeless law in Hungary has failed”, Népszava announces 
Hungary, 18th March -   As a result of Hungarian punitive measures , which made rough sleeping a crime,  homeless people in Hungary have been forced to into hiding, rather than going to the shelters, making it difficult for social workers and outreach workers to find them, FEANTSA member Menhely tells the newspaper. BMSZKI, another FEANTSA member, commented that it is the weather, rather than the punitive measures, that seem to influence the use of shelters. Full article here.
 

“The Ministry of housing to provide 150 million to the vulnerable”  
Czech Republic, 10th February – E15 reports the Czech Ministry of Housing invests in the implementation of Housing First in the Czech Republic, with EU funds. Full article here.
 

“Homeless in Europe” 
Norway, March – Norway’s largest printed newspaper, Aftenposten, published a feature on homelessness in Europe, including Ireland and Germany, amongst others. Full article here.
 

“Homelessness – a hidden figure” 
Brussels, 25th March – Euronews aired a feature piece on homelessness in Europe, following the FEANTSA/Fondation Abbé Pierre report on homelessness and housing exclusion. The piece tells the story of Kamel, who lives in an apartment in Brussels after 15 years in the streets, and of Ryszarda, who is still living in the streets, before giving an overview of housing exclusion in Europe. Full article and video here in English, here in French and here in Portuguese.
 

“The Housing Mess in Europe” 
Belgium, 22nd March – A feature piece in de Standaard gives an overview of the situation of housing exclusion in Europe, and more particularly on the overburden of housing costs. Full article here.

“Winter plans don’t cut it” 
Belgium, 26th March – Nieuwsblad focuses on the deficiencies of seasonal management when it comes to homelessness and housing exclusion. Full article here.

“30.6% of single-parent families spend more than 40% on housing” 
Spain / Catalonia, 21st March – La Vanguardia reports on energy poverty and housing overburden in Spain. Full article here.
 

“Poor families are building up more and more arrears in income and loans” 
Portugal, 22nd March – Público reports a 32% increase of poor families with income and loan arrears, before comparing to the European situation. Full article here.
 

“Sweden’s housing expenditure among the highest in the EU” 
Sweden, 27th March – Aftonbladet reports on housing expenditure in Sweden and the EU. Full article here.

 

Housing First Hub recruiting Communications Officer 

The Housing First Hub has opened a position for a part-time communications officer. The deadline for applications is 10th April. Find out more here. 
 

Looking to recruit young apprentices/trainees/employees? 
The European Solidarity Corps for Youth – ESC4Y -  is part of the European Solidarity Corps – ESC – initiative and aims to offer 4.000 fixed term work placements to young Europeans across the EU in occupations with a solidarity dimension. If you are seeking to fill a position, ESC4Y will function as an intermediary to help you find a suitable candidate. More information on ESC4Y here. 

 

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