The NRW State Program in Germany aimed to prevent homelessness and secure permanent housing through innovative local projects. Over 11 years, it funded 127 projects across the state with a budget of over 21 million euros. The program's goals were to improve services for the homeless, develop new models and access to housing. It supported outreach services, homelessness prevention, and helping those in housing crisis to access housing. The program was established in response to rising homelessness in the state in the 1990s and aimed to address gaps in services through cooperation. An evaluation found it helped reduce the flow into homelessness and supported knowledge sharing.

1. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Preventing Homelessness – Securing Permanent Housing
Experiences with an integrated state program against homelessness
in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Sofie Eichner, program agency at the University Duisburg-Essen
Presentation for Expert Seminar: Cooperation & Networking
to address homelessness, Oslo, Norway, 18. – 19. June 2007
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

2. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Agenda for concluding speech
NRW State Program Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
• Introduction to the program
• Output and results
• Background and motivation for the program
• Reflection on key factors
• Conclusion
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

3. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Short introduction of the NRW State Program Preventing
Homelessness – Securing Permanent Housing
The NRW State Program is an initiative of the Ministry for Family
Affairs of the German Federal state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).
It was started in 1996.
It is a unsolicited approach on tackling homelessness by the
states government.
It offers time limited financial incentives for innovative local projects
to advance the fight against homelessness.
From the year 1996 to 2007 127 projects have been funded
through the program. The overall budget is over 21 mio €.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

4. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Goals of the State Program since 1996
• Advance the services for homeless people.
• Develop new approaches, models of organisation and forms
of access to homeless people and people threatened by
homelessness.
• Widen the understanding of homelessness as an individual
and structural problem of society.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

5. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Approach of the State Program
Support innovative projects to prevent homelessness
and secure permanent housing:
• Strengthen homelessness prevention.
• Improve access to housing for people in housing
emergencies and homelessness.
• Development of outreach services to provide effective
support and advise.
For each approach in the state program objectives, conditions and
funding are defined.
The funding is granted for two to three years. It normally covers 70 to
80% of the costs for one person, executing the project.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

6. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Program management
The Ministry of Family Affairs steers the program, decides upon
project funding, research, publications, press and publicity.
The State Program Agency at the University of Duisburg-Essen
procures the scientific accompaniment and evaluation, supports
applicants for funding and projects, organises the transfer of
outcomes.
Municipalities, service providers, housing companies and other
actors on the local level apply for funding and carry out the
projects.
The scientific world, associations and organizations participate
as experts, lobbyists and project partners; but not as advisory
board.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

7. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Background an motivation for the State Program
• North Rhine-Westphalia is a dense populated “Land” (18.
Mio inhabitants) with a history of industrial production in the
Ruhr Area and prosperous, service oriented Rhine Area.
• In the late 90s NRW faced a peek in the number of people
who were homeless (temporarily accommodated in
municipal shelters under police law) plus resettlers from
former Soviet Union.
• The “Face” of homelessness changed and became more
heterogenic.
• Traditional (stationary) services for homeless people faced a
loss of acceptance and function.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

8. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
People accommodated in municipal shelters in NRW
30.06.06: 15.069 persons
: 8.826 households
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

9. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Background an motivation for the State Program
• The political leadership in the state parliament of NRW changed
to a coalition of social-democrats and green party.
• Research on reintegration of homeless people, a report on the
social situation in NRW and a position-paper of municipalities
were published and discussed in the early 90s.
• Know-how of service providers met administrative commitment
in the ministry of social affairs.
Homelessness was a topic on al levels of the state.
The states parliament resolved upon the implementation of
an integrated state program to support actors in
counteracting homelessness.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

10. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Output and spectrum of projects
127 different projects in 43 cities in the regions of NRW.
70% conducted by NGO, 25% by municipalities
23% projects focused on prevention
37% projects focused on reintegration in housing
34% developed out-reach services
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

11. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Municipal prevention agency work in
deprived neighbourhoods
Development of
prevention agencies
and early warning
systems
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

12. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Social „housing agents“ give
support and advise
Development of
housing projects for
homeless people
Conversion of former
shelters into housing
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

13. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Social services for street
magazine-sellers
Out-reach projects and
medical street care
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

14. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Production of knowledge and transfer
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

15. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
After 11 years … what is achieved?
The program has given important impulses to improve local
support structures for the prevention and reduction of
homelessness.
The flow from regular housing into homelessness is reduced.
The program has supported the transfer of knowledge, innovative
methods and principles into the mainstream.
Support for homeless people and people threatened by
homelessness is a political issue.
Integrated statistic on homelessness in NRW is being
implemented.
----
“Macro” structural problems that cause homelessness are not
being changed. The program continues.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

16. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Reflection on key factors:
• Aiming at the gaps between services, programs and actors.
• Clear principles and flexible framework.
• Additional resources for moderation, evaluation and research
on the level of the projects and the program.
• Funding guidelines requiring co-financing by the service
provider or municipality.
• Program agency as “interface” between administration and
practitioners: governance, guidance, transfer.
• Personal engagement and responsibility.
• Program is cause for cooperation above the local level.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

17. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Conclusion for the NRW State Program
• Leadership is giving the possibilities and resources to “stick
the head out of daily work” and take new paths to
homelessness prevention and reintegration.
• The base is knowledge about the field and close
communication with its actors.
• Cooperation with a differentiated base of supporting actors
makes the strategies most successful and sustainable.
• Good results and their transfer have secured the political
support over 10 years.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

18. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Aspects of a transferable lesson
Leadership requires…
• Data on homelessness and research about good practice in
services, organisations and approaches is necessary to
develop a sustainable and need oriented program.
• Clear leading principles to set the frame for innovation.
• Realistic goals and evaluation of effects is needed to secure
the quality of projects, political support and have time to
develop the program.
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg

19. NRW State Program
Preventing Homelessness –
Securing Permanent Housing
Thank You very much for Your attention!
Contact
Sofie Eichner
University of Duisburg-Essen
Lotharstraße 65
D – 470467 Duisburg
+ 49 (0) 203 – 379 17 01
Sofie.Eichner@uni-due.de
www.wohnungsnotfallhilfe.nrw.de (also in English!)
© Programmgeschäftsstelle an der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 65, 47057 Duisburg