Presentation given by Magdalena Mostowska, University of Warsaw, Poland at a FEANTSA Research Conference on "Understanding Homelessness and Housing Exclusion in the New European Context", Budapest, Hungary, 2010

1. Using services for the homeless abroad.
Polish rough sleepers in Brussels and
Oslo
Magdalena Mostowska
University of Warsaw, Poland
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE
ENHR
NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

2. Plan of the presentation
 Comparing Polish migration patterns to Brussels and Oslo
 About the project and informants
 Provision of low-threshold services for the homeless in Brussels and Oslo
 Exclusion and inclusion of Poles from services
 Conclusions
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

3. Polish migration to Belgium and Norway
Belgium (Brussels) Norway (Oslo)
Older and more gender balanced population Younger population, more men
(30 000; 16 000 in Brussels, 2008) (50 000; 9 000 in Oslo, 2010) (83% work permits
Supposedly many unregistered workers for men)
(20 000? in Brussels) Supposedly fewer unregistered workers
Largest influx of Poles in the 1990s (from Largest migration after 2004 (from different
Podlasie, mainly to Brussels) regions, to various cities)
Established Informal networks (illegal work in Supposedly less established informal networks
1990s) (labor market opened May 1st, 2009) (labor market opened January 1st, 2010)
Construction and domestic work (large gray Oslo 93% men in construction, underpaid
zone) 75% women in cleaning (large gray zone)
Pendular migration Family reunions
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

4. About the project
Brussels Oslo
Fieldwork August 2008, February 2009, January-June 2010
August-September 2009
My informants ca. 80 men and women (more ca. 40 only men
(street-regulars) older men)
Ethnographic Public spaces, gathering places, Services, gathering places, public
field services, experts’ interviews spaces, experts’ interviews, volunteer
work
Rough sleepers Larger group about 100 people No larger group
population
Longer periods of street life Episodes of rough sleeping
Well established groups in the Individuals in public space
public space
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

5. Provision of low-threshold services for the homeless
Brussels Oslo
Homelessness 995 in Brussels (2008) 6 000 in Norway (2008)
survey 545 rough sleepers 1 500 in Oslo, 3% rough sleepers
[city count] [questionnaires from institutions]
11% CASU clients from Eastern 2% of homeless people from Eastern
Europe (2008) Europe (2008)
?? 61% of homeless people are drug or
alcohol addicted
Provision of Municipal, regional, non- Municipal and non-governmental,
services governmental mainly via drug-prevention programs
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

6. Provision of low-threshold services for the homeless
Services used by Poles Brussels Oslo
Low-threshold services
Soup runs ++ +
Soup kitchens +++ +++
Street workers/street nurses + -
Food distribution + +++
Clothes distribution + ++
Showers, laundry ++ +
Night shelters + -
Longer-term shelters + -
Emergency medical assistance ++ ++
Welfare/unemployment benefits + +++
Social housing (rent allowance) + ++
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

7. Exclusion of homeless migrants
from low-threshold services
 „Finally, it will be the end [of this place], when it turns out that 80% of
services goes to the homeless Poles. This service is primarily for Belgians.
People now come here [to Belgium] unprepared, they have no work, no
place to live. There are dramatic situations, when someone was robbed or
mugged (…) but many people don’t want to go back [to Poland], because
they have stolen, or killed, or didn’t pay for their children. (…) Service is for
the homeless. And primarily for the Belgians. Belgium cannot pay for those
who don’t feel like working here. There’s many [Polish] people here who
work hard and then it’s OK., if something dramatic happens, we have to
help, but you cannot abuse this help.” (Belgian volunteer with Polish
background in crisis center, Brussels, 2009.09.09)
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

8. Exclusion of homeless migrants
from low-threshold services
 „Now there is a group of about 15 Poles coming everyday. We gave them
sort of a green card for two months, because, honestly, we don’t know what
to do with them. Very quickly they learned what to say at the interview, they
all answer the same, we are not going anywhere with this. For Norwegians
and English-speaking people we have the same rules, we can treat them
individually. But for the Polish people we have no rules. We have to treat
them as a group, and this is not our policy. Norwegians think that the Polish
people are taking THEIR place, they come and they see them, and they
say, they take MY café, MY table, MY place” (Blå Kors kontaktsenter, Oslo,
2010.03.01)
 28-year old man who doesn’t drink, uses only cannabis, tells how he lived in
a basement and had no shower. He went to the Salvation Army to get a
shower. But they told him that it’s only for drug addicts. „What am I suppose
to do? Go and buy heroin, pump it up my vain, and than I could take a
shower?” (Oslo, 2010.05.11)
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

9. Conclusions
Brussels Oslo
Resentment towards other groups Fear of exclusion (rumors)
Resentment towards Norwegians, ’drug heads’
and ‘Blacks’, critical towards welfare state
Relatively stable groups of Polish rough Dynamic situation, short episodes of rough
sleepers in public space sleeping
Established Informal networks Supposedly less established informal networks
Rough sleeping - milder climate, tolerance for Rough sleeping – tougher weather, no
rough sleepers in the public space, accessible accessible night shelters; services focused on
emergency night shelters drug-addicts
Welfare recipients vs. undocumented workers
excluded from street-level services
Confusion about rights and what are they entitled to
Poor language and social skills, familiarized marginalization
Temporal construction workers off the books as recruitment pool
Family conflicts, breakup; criminal offences and admitting to failure as causes of not ‘going back’
Alcohol addiction (isolated cases of drug addicts – younger men)
Accepting very poor and insecure housing, couch-surfing at friends’ places
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

10. Thank you
Belgian part of this project has been conducted in collaboration with
Onderzoeksinstituut voor Arbeid en Samenleving, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Norwegian part of this project has been conducted in collaboration with
Norsk institutt for by- og regionforskning
This project was completed with the support granted by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway by
means of co-financing from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the
Norwegian Financial Mechanism as part of the Scholarship and Training Fund.
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT