FEANTSAEuropean Federation of National Organisations

Working with the Homeless

Presentation

Membership

Fédération européenne des associations nationales travaillant avec les sans-abri (European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless)

More than 130 member organisations in 26 EU Member States and other European countries

National and regional umbrella organisations of service providers for homeless people

Full/associate/corresponding members

Objectives FEANTSA works closely with the EU institutions, and has

consultative status at the Council of Europe and the United Nations. It receives financial support from the European Commission.

FEANTSA is committed to: Engaging in constant dialogue with the European institutions and

national and regional governments to promote the development and implementation of effective measures to fight homelessness.

Conducting and disseminating research and data collection to promote better understanding of the nature, extent, causes of, and solutions to, homelessness.

Promoting and facilitating the exchange of information, experience and good practice between FEANTSA’s member organisations and relevant stakeholders with a view to improving policies and practices addressing homelessness.

Raising public awareness about the complexity of homelessness and the multidimensional nature of the problems faced by homeless people

Decision-Making Structure

Democratically organised General Assembly (GA) Administrative Council (AC) Executive Committee (EC) Finance Committee (President, Treasurer,

Director and Finance Officer) Office (implements the work programme)

General Assembly Is composed of all full members; other members may assist in

a consultative capacity. Has the following responsibilities:

To decide on basic policy (work programmes) To approve the budget and accounts. To elect and dismiss members of the Administrative Council. To amend the statutes. To expel members. To dissolve the association.

Decisions are taken by a simple majority. The votes are distributed on the basis of 10 votes per Member State.

Meets once a year (usually in connection with the Annual Conference). Voting takes place every two years.

Administrative Council One representative from each EU Member State with a full

member, Meets 3 x / year Elected by the General Assembly for 2 years (renewable) Elects Executive Committee Responsibilities:

Membership applications Adopt and develop the annual work programme and the

annual budget Adopt policy statements Establish working groups Decide on personnel structure and organisation of work of

the Secretariat, dismissal of Director Decide on internal regulations of the secretariat

Decisions by simple majority. Consensus is striven for.

Executive Committee Elected by and from the Administrative Council for 2

years (renewable) Maximum 7 members, including the President, 2 vice-

presidents, the treasurer and the secretary. Responsibilities:

Prepares and implements longer-term strategies Prepares issues for Administrative Council decision Monitors and implements the annual work programme Supervises staff management Monitors research carried out by the Observatory

Decisions are taken by majority voting, strives for consensus

Meets 4 x per year

Working Groups I

Appointed by the AC (based on applications)

Aim: Develop thematic expertise and facilitate exchange of good practices

Prepare policy documents, background documents, toolkits, databases, etc.

Prepare conferences Meet 2 x per year

Working Groups II

Housing (6 members, 1 Research Expert) Employment (6 members) Housing Rights (4 members, 2 observers) Health and Social Protection (5 members) Participation (6 members) Migration (6 members, 1 observer)

Transnational Exchange Initiatives

Thematic Fora •Health

•Housing Rights•Employment

Knowledge Forum •Research Observatory

•Data Collection

Public Fora •Local authorities

•(HABITACT)•Ministries Forum

FEANTSA

Transnational Exchange Initiatives

European Network of Homeless

Health Workers (ENHW) Housing Rights Watch HABITACT Ministries Forum European Employability and Homelessnes

s Forum Housing Practitioners’ Forum

European Network of Homeless Health Workers

Virtual network of about 350 contacts across Europe, mainly health professionals working with homeless people.

LinkedIn Group Newsletter three/four times a year :1. Exchange and mutual learning, 2. Information about available resources and

relevant events.

www.housingrightswatch.org Links voluntary organisations, lawyers and academics committed to

promoting the right to housing for all. Aims at: sharing information on legislation and case-law, monitoring

the housing situation from a rights-based perspective, supporting national and European public policy change with the aim of better implementing the right to housing.

15 national correspondents Housing Rights Expert group Newsletter Conferences Campaign: Poverty is Not a Crime www.povertyisnotacrime.org LinkedIn group

Housing Rights Watch

HABITACTEuropean exchange forum on local homeless strategies

8 founding cities, 16 partner cities 5 project streams: policy exchange, communications, project development,

partnership development, promotion Policy Exchange

Peer Reviews Policy Bank

Communications e-bulletin Website www.habitact.eu

Project Development Research proposal on local welfare systems and homelessness under the Seventh

Framework Programme of the European Commission Life-Long Learning

Partnership Development Extending network Funding opportunities

Promotion

Ministries’ Forum

Forum of ministries responsible for homelessness Brings together regional and national policy makers responsible for

homelessness in the Member States Allows mutual learning and transnational exchange on homelessness

policies FEANTSA facilitates the forum Latest events

Workshop: Housing First: A Key Element of European Homelessness Strategies, 23rd March 2012, hosted by the French Permanent Representation to the EU

EU Housing Ministers’ Meeting, 10th December 2013

More information

European Employability and Homelessness Forum

FEANTSA is developing a European Employability and Homelessness Forum in order to reach out to partners outside the homelessness sector

The forum aims to provide a platform for transnational exchanges on employment and homelessness

Resources "Employability and Homelessness" newsletter  Online database of employment initiatives

More information

Housing Practitioners’ Forum

FEANTSA is currently working with CECODHAS (Housing Europe) and EASPD (European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities) to develop a European forum of housing practitioners focusing on meeting the housing needs of vulnerable people

More information

European Observatory on Homelessness (EOH)

www.feantsaresearch.org Understanding homelessness and evaluating services is key to developing

homelessness strategies, preventing homelessness and promoting good practice in homelessness services

FEANTSA’s statutory bodies decide on the Observatory’s research strategy, annual research programme and research themes

Annual European Research Conference Two issues of the European Journal of Homelessness and one 

Comparative Study per year LinkedIn Discussion Group Recent work:

• Review of knowledge on homelessness for 2010 Consensus Conference  • 2011 study of barriers to social housing for homeless people in the EU • 2012 study of the enumeration of homelessness in the 2011 censuses • 2013 cost of homelessness study

Communications ToolsFEANTSA website• Public section• Members’ only section

Publications• Homeless in Europe Magazine• Flash Newsletter• LINK (internal members’ newsletter)• Press Releases• Videos

Social Media

Policy Tools/Resources

FEANTSA has produced a wealth of Resources, including: Annual Reports Books Databases Lists of Services by Country Homelessness Monitoring Policy Statements PowerPoint Presentations Toolkits and Handbooks

It also collects key documents produced by the European Institutions and has a directory of existing Strategies to End Homelessness and gives information about Collective Complaints  it has launched

FEANTSA History

1985 – 12 countries participated in the first European Seminar on Poverty and Homlessness in Cork, Ireland. The seminar ended with a resolution entitled

Homelessness in the European Community. It made 8 main recommendations including

"European funding for an association of organisations working with homeless people in the Member States"

April 1989 – FEANTSA legally recognised

Annual Themes 1997 – Services for Homeless People 1998 – Support and Housing in Europe 1999 – Women and Homelessness in Europe 2001 – Access to Housing 2002 – Immigration and Homelessness in Europe 2003 – Co-operation and Networking to fight Homelessness 2004 – Prevention of Homelessness 2005 – Social Emergency and Crisis Intervention in Large European Cities 2006 – Health and Homelessness 2007 – Employment and Homelessness 2008 – Housing and Homelessness 2009 – Participation and Homelessness 2010 – European Consensus Conference on Homelessness 2011 – Quality in Social Services from the Perspective of Services Working with

Homeless People 2012 – Migration and Homelessness 2013 – Youth Homelessness

2010 - European Consensus Conference on Homelessness

Innovative policy process seeking to establish common understandings on fundamental questions about homelessness + provide basis for policy progress.

Initiative of Belgian Presidency of EU Council, co-organised with European Commission.

FEANTSA co-ordinated the process French Government a key partner Resources:

Experts' contributions on the key questions Homelessness and Homeless Policies in Europe: Lessons from

Research 2010 European Consultation of Homeless People

Outcomes: Policy Recommendations of the Jury Also available in Dutch and Italian Executive summaries in all EU languages

Funding

FEANTSA receives partial funding from the European Commission

The rest of the funding is made up of membership fees, conference fees and grants

More Information

information@feantsa.org +32(0)2 538 66 69 Chaussée de Louvain 194,

1210 Brussels,Belgium

www.feantsa.org