EU context Potential for enhancing
transnational cooperation Brussels – 27 June 2011
Background Joint Report EPSCO Council 2010
« Integrated strategies to address homelessness have an important role to play in post-crisis policies »
Guidelines Proper governance Evidence-base Targets Comprehensive & Multi-dimensional Housing-led
Written Declarations EP End street homelessness 2008 EU homelessness strategy 2010
End homelessnessness Rough sleeping Social emergencies Integration Young homeless Discharge
EY2010 Final Declaration European Council 2010 Challenges ahead
“Particular attention should be given to vulnerable groups such as migrants, the Roma and other ethnic minorities and to extreme forms of poverty such as homelessness. No one should be left behind”
Background (2) CoR Own Initiative Report 2010
The basis for discussion must be that the EU Member States are facing a shared problem. Homelessness afflicts individuals … and it occurs in all the EU Member States. We therefore need joint measures (at EU level) to prevent and reduce homelessness EU Agency
EESC Own Initiative Report (forthcoming) SPC activities
Light Year on homelessness 2009 Country reports
EU Independent expert network research « It is essential that homelessness be considered an integral part of the Social OMC and be
consolidated and continued post 2010 » EU Housing Ministers Meeting call 2010
« Homelessness and housing exclusion should be taken into account fully within European Union social inclusion strategy in order to allow significant progress on these issues » 2008
« That the results of the forthcoming Consensus Conference on Homelessness (December 2010) should be integrated within the European Union social inclusion strategy « 2010
Commissioner Andor support Public interventions Tweet last week
« EU must deal with rising #homelessness & invest in #social #innovation. «
EU 2020 Agenda EU Programme 2010-2020
Centered on economic growth and employment EC Communication endorsed by Council (June 2010)
In the framework of the EPAP member states will need to « Define and implement measures addressing the specific circumstances of groups at particular risk (such as one-parent families, elderly women, minorities, Roma, people with a disability and the homeless) »
Limited nr of target groups Council conclusions on the employment guidelines (Oct 2010)
Benefit systems should focus on ensuring income security during transitions and reducing poverty, in particular among groups most at risk from social exclusion, such as one-parent families, minorities including the Roma, people with disabilities, children and young people, elderly women and men, legal migrants and the homeless. Member States should also actively promote the social economy and social innovation in support of the most vulnerable
Limited nr of target groups
EU 2020 Agenda (2) National Reform Programmes
Replace NAPs Very little space for social inclusion But important for agenda setting
12 countries mention homelessness as a specific problem that requires EU policy intervention. some refer to the need for a specific strategy (France, Luxembourg, Finland, Bulgaria,
Portugal, and Belgium); some consider homeless people as a specific target of their employment and/or housing
policies (UK, Spain, Poland) some see homeless people as specific target group of social inclusion policies (Ireland,
Romania, Greece). some raise the need for targeting and the need to focus on the most excluded/extreme
poverty (such as Slovenia, Italy). few countries don't mention homelessness but policies are also aimed at homeless and/or
target groups mentioned overlap and are increasingly supported by homeless sector - ex Roma (such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Czech Republic).
some have hardly anything on social inclusion and therefore also nothing on homelessness (such as Germany and Netherlands).
some have nothing on homelessness in spite of their good policies and transnational work on homelessness (Sweden, Austria, and Denmark).
No targets related to homelessness EC country specific recommendations
Nothing substantial on on poverty
EPAP – what is in it for homelessnesss? Identify methods and means to best continue the work it has started on homelessness and housing exclusion, taking into account the outcome of the consensus conference of December 2010. EU Strategy?!
Develop the Voluntary European Quality Framework on social services at sectoral level, including in the field of long-term care and homelessness. To guide EU funding from Structural Funds?!
The Commission will support through the PROGRESS programme regular exchanges and partnerships between a wider set of stakeholders in specific priority areas, such as active inclusion, child poverty, Roma inclusion, homelessness and financial inclusion Funding base for Ministries Forum ?!
Promote the sustainable involvement of civil society through the PROGRESS programme by providing support to key EU wide networks as well as through regular exchanges and partnerships between a wider set of stakeholders in specific priority areas, such as active inclusion, child poverty, Roma inclusion, homelessness and financial inclusion Funding for FEANTSA secured?!
Give all necessary technical support and guidance to Member States to implement the amendments to the ERDF regulation adopted in May 2010 to support housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities, and promote the implementation of the new regulation with dedicated seminars. Access to Structural Funds ?!
Develop cross-sectoral approaches that articulate actions in several related policy fields such as employment, education, health, youth, housing, migration and social protection that have the potential to lead to social innovation. Promotion of Housing-led approaches for homelessness?!
EPAP – some reactions of EU bodies SPC
« The SPC will continue work on homelessness and housing exclusion, also taking into account the outcome of the European Consensus conference on homelessness
EC Limited strategic progress on implementation
No progress (yet) towards EU strategy/action plan on homelessness
Ad hoc events Structural Funds & Innovation
Leader – DG EMPL
Lobbying goes on … EU STRATEGY ON HOMELESSNESS
Basis EPAP CC
EC Meeting Commissioner Laszlo Andor - VDB/FEANTSA 24th of June
MS French Minister of Housing PermReps
Common meeting to present CC recommendations (under preparation) More
Ministries Forum?! Individual Ministries
EP Oral question with debate & resolution (under preparation)
EU Presidency Poland?!
Annual Convention Social Inclusion… Denmark
Demand for EU homelessness strategy?!
Homeless strategy – who? Governance
High-Level Steering Group CC recommendation Membership?!
Role of Ministries Forum Develop structures for delivery of results
Research European Observatory on Homelessness
Local authorities Habitact
National and/or Regional Ministries Ministries Forum
Legal experts Housing Rights Watch
Thematic networks Housing, Health, Employment
Homeless persons HOPE
…
Homeless strategy – What? Focus
(1) Monitoring progress of MS Role of Ministries Forum (& FEANTSA)… Link with SPC
Annual progress report?! Cooperation with OECD
(2) Research OBS Gaps in knowlegde
CC Data collection Migration
Others …
(3) Innovation Housing First Innovation Union Flagship & Social experimentation
Social experimentation project Access to Structural Funds?!
Homeless strategy --- What? (2) Focus (cont)
4) Service provision - Quality of services EU quality framework for homeless services
EU-funded quality project ?! Staff training
Cedefop Access Structural Funds ...
(5) Transnational exchanges & mutual learning Own agenda
Priorities of Ministries EC agenda
Break into other DG’s Health, Migration, Urban development …
Thank you for listening
