Presentation given by Bill Edgar at a FEANTSA Seminar on "What Action is Europe taking to Tackle Homelessness?", hosted by the European Parliament, May 2005

1. Joint Centre for Scottish
Housing Research
Homelessness
A European Perspective
Bill Edgar
European Observatory on Homelessness
FEANTSA

2. Overview of Presentation
Understanding Homelessness
Country Perspectives and State
Responses
European Social Model

3. Nature of Homelessness
SCALE
– 3 million sleeping rough
– 15 million inadequately housed
PERSISTENCE
– Growing problem
– Endemic not transitory experience
PROFILE
– Changing composition
– Young, Old, Women, Immigrants /
Ethnic

4. Understanding Homelessness
Homelessness =
Socio-demographic change : composition
+ Economic restructuring : housing vulnerability
+ Housing restructuring : deregulation
+ Welfare retrenchment : support

5. Weakly Regulated Housing
Markets (1)
Promotion of home ownership
De-regulation of rented sector
– rent control
– risk reduction in social housing
Rising costs and affordability of
housing

6. Weakly Regulated Housing
Markets (2)
Subsidy shift
– supply to consumption subsidies
– regressive impacts
Reduction in state provision
State withdrawal
– expenditure reduction
– decentralisation
– privatisation of social housing companies

7. Changing Welfare State in Europe
1945 2005
WELFARE PROCTECTION WELFARE ASSISTANCE
universal provision means tests, targeted
WELFARE AS CONTROL ‘PARTICIPATORY’ WELFARE
‘normalisation’ user involvement etc

8. Understanding Homelessness
POLICY
CONTEXT
Welfare Socio-
retrenchment demographic
Economic
restructuring
HISTORIC
CONTEXT

9. Factors leading to Homelessness
CAUSES FACTORS TRIGGERS SUPPORT FOCUS
STRUCTURAL Poverty Debts
Unemployment Financial Crisis PREVENTION
Housing Eviction (arrears)
Eviction (behaviour)
INSTITUTIONAL Institutional Living Leaving care HOUSING FOCUS
Foster / State Care Leaving Care
Prison Experience Leaving prison
Armed Forces Forces discharge
RELATIONSHIP Abusive relationship Leaving family
(childhood) home
Abusive relationship
(with a partner) Fleeing violent
Family Breakdown relationship
(death or Coping with living
separation) alone CARE FOCUS
PERSONAL Mental Illness Deterioration /
illness episode
Learning Difficulty Support breakdown
Drug Dependency Substance Misuse REINTEGRATION
Alcohol Dependency Substance Misuse

10. more
Central
Europe
H Southern Europe
O Atlantic
U
S Continental
I
N
G more
P less
R
O
B
L
E Cyprus &
M Malta Nordic &
S ?? Netherlands
less
SUPPORT PROBLEMS

11. Country Perspectives
Nordic
– Homelessness is ‘Social Problem’ not housing
Continental
– Germany - relaxed housing market
– France - SRU legislation / housing rights
Mediterranean
– State Role and Family Role changing
EU-10
– Structural and Housing issues
Atlantic
– Housing + Support

12. Policy Context and Gray Areas
Welfare Policy Gaps
– Homeless hostels services of last resort ?
– Policy pathways?
Co-ordination / Inter-agency Working
– Health, Social Work, Justice system, Housing?
– Institutional pre-release procedures?
Service Delivery Failures
– Support provision / funding?
– Inappropriate accommodation (communal)?
– Staffing culture and training?

13. Housing Integration
Community cohesion,
neighbourhood facilities,
Supports support network
Extended family/friends
Tenancies Race
support
Equality/
Non
Violence Self-esteem,
perception of control
Structural Institutional Interpersonal Individual
Limited education, skills,
history of persecution
Segregatio Low socio-economic status, Lack of family support
n, weak unemployment , and
legal status segregation
Undermines Adapted from WHO Fact Sheet No 239,
June 2001).
Tenancies

14. Accommodation and Support
Support Dimension
Need is for Need is for
Permanent Support Transitional Support
1 2
High Risk learning disability
of older people ex-offenders
Institutional
Living mentally ill (*)
Accommodation
Dimension 3 4
Low Risk physically disabled young people
of HIV/AIDS vulnerable single parents
Institutional women fleeing domestic
Living alcohol / drug abusers (*) violence
immigrants / ethnic
minorities
* Note : need for support which will fluctuate over time

15. ETHOS Definition
Roofless Rough Sleeping
Night shelter
Houseless Hostel / temporary accommodation
Women’s shelter
Asylum / immigrants shelters
Institutional release
Supported housing
Insecure Housing No tenancy
Eviction orders
Violence / threat
Inadequately Temporary / illegal structures
Housed Overcrowding
Unfit for habitation

16. European Social Model
Economic Model
– Poverty
– Labour market integration
– Infrastructure (including housing)
Social Model
– Access to housing and support
– Vulnerable groups
– Mobilising all actors

17. NAPs/Inclusion
Improved Measurement / Indicators
Establish Targets
Range of Policies reflecting nature of
housing exclusion
Integration Policies supported by local
assessments of need
Disseminate Good Practice
Respond to changing needs

18. INTERPLAY OF TRHEE
SPHERES
MARKET
Polarisation, winners and
losers
Dependency and Responsibillity
stigmatisation mismatch
STATE HOUSEHOLDS/COMMUNITY