Presentation given by Pedro José Cabrera, Universidad Comillas, Madrid, Rosario Sánchez-Morales, UNED, and Manuel Muñoz, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain at a FEANTSA Research Conference on "Homelessness and Poverty", Paris, France, 2009

1. Researching Homelessness:
An Opportunity to Increase Social Consciousness and
to Strengthen Social Networks
Pedro José Cabrera Rosario Sánchez-Morales Manuel Muñoz

2. DoingResearchonHomelessness:
Technical, Political and Ethicalconditions
 Ourmain OBJECTIVES?
 Toknow more about… THEN (SDF) and what
are theydoing
 …what WE (ADF) are doing
 … the RELATIONSHIP
joining/dividingtoeachother

3. DoingResearchonHomelessness… (2)
 HOW do wemaderesearch:
 FromtheUniversity
 FromPublicAdministration and Servicies
 FromCitizenship and Civil Society

4. DoingResearchonHomelessness…(3)
 For WHAT do wemaderesearch?
 Forincreaseknowledge…
 Formanagingbetter….
 For living withdiginity

5. Someotherlimits
 Quantitative / Qualitative a false dilemma
 Counts (“cuentas”) and Tales (“cuentos”)
 What, Where, How, and Whocounts?,
 DiscoveringorVerifying

6. Researchinghomelessness in
Spainusing S-Nightsmethodology
 Stateof the art in Europeancountries
 Madrid, Barcelona…
 General frameforresearh
 Administration, NGO’s, University
 Volonteers
 Recruitment and Training
 Direction,Negotiation and Mediation
 TheCollectiveResearcher
 Fieldwork and Logistic

7. Practicalarrangements
Anexample of censusareaassignedto a team
in Madrid

8. Results
Barcelona Madrid
Volonteers 708 629
Rooflesspeoplecounted 634-658 650
Males 89.5% 89.1%
Foreigners 62% 55-53%
MainNationalities Romania 16.3% Romania 36.2%
Morocco 8.9% Poland 10.5%
Poland 5.2% Morocco/Portugal 7.7%
PrimaryorLessEducationalLevel 52% 52%
Morethan a year living in thestreets 46% 62%
Homeless lodged in shelters 49% 62%

9. RESULTS
“Fromyourpoint of view, what are
beenthemainreasonsforbecomingroofless?”
24,7
Falta de trabajo 27,0
16,1
Probl. Familiares / Ruptura afectiva 19,0
9,7
Falta de "papeles" 13,8
6,5
Alcohol 4,2
Barcelona
5,4
Drogadicción 9,0 Madrid
2,2
Excarcelación 1,1
5,4
Voluntariamente 2,6
3,2
Enfermedad 5,3
21,5
Falta de dinero 11,1
5,4
Otras 6,9

10. RESULTS
“Wichkind of logement do youprefer?”
Un piso compartido con 60,7
otras personas 30,65
42,9
Un piso para mi solo
35,48
Una habitación 33,9
Barcelona
subarrendada 12,90
Madrid
14,3
Una pensión
5,65
12,5
Un albergue
5,65
Un piso para mi familia
14,52

11. Final Reflections
 Media’s role
 GoingfarawaytheUniversity
 Givingleading role
 SuccessorFailure?
 Finding, Showing, Changing