Dr Eoin O'Sullivan of Trinity College Dublin presents the European Observatory on Homelessness and homeless research in Europe.

1. International Homelessness Policy and Research Profile: European Union
Eoin O’Sullivan,
School of Social Work and Social Policy,
Trinity College Dublin and
European Observatory on Homelessness

2. International Homelessness Policy and Research Profile: European Union
Eoin O’Sullivan,
School of Social Work and Social Policy,
Trinity College Dublin and
European Observatory on Homelessness

3. At Risk of Poverty after Social Transfers in 2010 (%)
 More than 25%
 Between 20-25%
 Between 15-20%
 Less than 15%

4. 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1971
1966
1952
1951
1950
1946
All Homelessness Social Science Research on Homelessness
Scopus Results for Research on Homelessness, 1946-2012

5. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
United StatesEuropeCanadaAustraliaBrazilSpainSouth AfricaJapanIndiaNew Zealand
Scopus Results for Research on Homelessness by Country, 1946-2012

6. Homelessness Research in the European Union, 1946-2012
0
100
200
300
400
500
600

7. Homelessness Research in Europe (Excluding the UK)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140

8. 0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
United
States
EuropeCanadaAustraliaSouth
Africa
New
Zealand
JapanBrazilIndiaIsrael
Top Ten Countries for Social Science Research on Homelessness

9. 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Social Science Research on Homelessness in Europe

10. Social Science Research on Homelessness in Europe (excluding the UK)
0
5
10
15
20
25

11. Publications in the European Journal of Homelessness by Country
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35

12. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Europe (Social Science) excluding United Kingdom EJH
Publications in the EJH and Scopus by Country (excluding the UK and EU)

13. Scopus and EJH Publications on Homelessness in Europe
 More than 25
 Between 11 and 25 Publications
 Ten Publications or less

14. Research on Homelessness in Europe
One of the recommendations of the seminar was
that:
“the European Commission fund an association
of organisations working with homeless people in
the member states so that they may consult
regularly on issues affecting homeless people, on
methods that will secure improvements in the
conditions of homeless people and advise the
Commission on policy that will improve the
conditions of homeless people.”
This recommendation led to the establishment of
the Federation Europeenne d’Associations
Nationales Travaillant avec les Sans Abris
(FEANTSA) in 1989 and in 1991 the European
Observatory on Homelessness.

15. Research Output of the European Observatory on Homelessness, 1991-

16. European Journal of Homelessness, 2007-
The aim is to stimulate debate on homelessness and housing exclusion at the
European level and to facilitate the development of a stronger evidential base for
policy development and innovation.
The European Journal of Homelessness publishes two editions per year. The first
edition of each year is a themed edition, largely based on the theme of the annual
research conference of the previous year, which the European Observatory on
Homelessness and its partners organise each year. The second edition is open to all
contributions that address dimensions of homelessness in Europe.

17. EOH Comparative Studies on Homelessness, 2011-
A new series of the European Observatory of Homelessness (EOH) that explores pan-
European issues in homelessness through the use of a questionnaire sent to a group
of national experts

18. ETHOS - European Typology on Homelessness and Housing Exclusion
ETHOS categories attempt to
cover all living situations which
amount to forms of
homelessness across Europe:
rooflessness (without a shelter of
any kind, sleeping rough)
houselessness (with a place to
sleep but temporary in
institutions or shelter)
living in insecure housing
(threatened with severe
exclusion due to insecure
tenancies, eviction, domestic
violence)
living in inadequate housing (in
caravans on illegal campsites, in
unfit housing, in extreme
overcrowding).

19. The Role of the European Commission

20. EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY AND THE ECCH
Europe 2020 is the EU's growth strategy for the coming decade….EU to become a
smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. These three mutually reinforcing priorities
should help the EU and the Member States deliver high levels of employment, productivity
and social cohesion….the Union has set five ambitious objectives - on
employment, innovation, education, social inclusion and climate/energy - to be reached by
2020.
A key initiative of the 2020 strategy is the European Platform against poverty and social
exclusion, which sets out actions to reach the EU target of reducing poverty and social
exclusion by at least 20 million by 2020.
The Commission aims to “identify methods and means to best continue the work initiated
on homelessness and housing exclusion, taking into account the outcome of the consensus
conference of December 2010.”
The European Consensus Conference on Homelessness, a Belgian Presidency initiative, with
FEANTSA, has helped lay the foundation for a possible EU strategy on Homelessness.

21. EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY AND THE ECCH
On the basis of expert evidence, an independent jury drew
conclusions on key questions concerning homeless policies.
The Jury stated that homelessness violates the fundamental
human rights and ongoing prevention in the national and
regional context should be secured;
that a major shift from shelters and transitional
accommodation to ’housing led’ approaches is needed as a
sustainable solution;
that homeless people should be empowered to participate
in decision-making related to their issues, and to fight a
usual view of homeless people as passive recipients of help;
called for an integrated approach to migrants and EU citizens
facing homelessness as a result of access barriers relating to
legal or administrative status.

22. EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY AND THE ECCH
The European Parliament drew upon the jury’s recommendations on the 14th September
2011 when it adopted a Resolution calling for an integrated EU homelessness strategy to
monitor, support and coordinate the development of national homelessness strategies.
It also called on the Commission to establish a working group for an EU homelessness
strategy and to involve all stakeholders in the fight against homelessness;
called for the European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion (ETHOS) to be
taken into consideration in developing an EU strategy;
called on the Social Protection Committee and its indicators sub-group to promote
agreement amongst Member States on applying this definition;
called on EUROSTAT to collect EU homelessness data in the framework of the European
Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC);
Called for a framework, agreed by the Commission and the Member States for monitoring
the development of national and regional homelessness strategies, as a central element of
the EU homelessness strategy; calls in this context for an annual or bi-annual reporting
strategy to report on progress.

23. Roundtable meeting of Ministers with Responsibility for
Homelessness, Leuven, Belgium, 2013
The meeting agreed six principles that should inform homelessness policy across Europe.
These principles are:
Principle 1 (Develop and Share Knowledge and Best Practice)
Recognition of need to develop and share knowledge about homelessness so as to greatly improve the
quality of homelessness responses at a national, regional, and local level.
Principle 2 (Core Elements for Response)
Acknowledge that housing-led approaches to homelessness which prioritise access to affordable, long-
term stable housing solutions, are one of the most effective responses to homelessness. Also
acknowledged that prevention is crucial.
Principle 3 (Funding)
An adequate level of funding to confront homelessness and enable continuous, high-quality provision of
services, involving private investors, partnerships and collaborative approaches, if possible, should be
provided. Better utilisation of EU financing instruments to combat homelessness should be encouraged.

24. Roundtable meeting of Ministers with Responsibility for
Homelessness, Leuven, Belgium, 2013
Principle 4 (Common Reference Framework)
A comprehensive reference framework for homelessness can improve the capacity for data
collection, comparison and analysis
Principle 5 (Research, Innovation and Data Collection)
A better understanding of the homelessness phenomenon would result in improved, evidence-based
policies and enhanced responses to homelessness. Research and ongoing development of
knowledge, and innovative approaches to the problem are required.
Principle 6 (Implementation and Monitoring)
The development and implementation of national homelessness plans should be monitored and advice
and expertise should be made available where required.

25. Measuring Homelessness in Europe
 Broad Acceptance of the Ethos
definition
 Broad definition for research
purposes
 More restrictive definition
w No standardised definition

26. Increases in Homelessness over the past 5 years?
 Increase
 Decrease
 Stability

27. The Extent of Housing Led Policies and Practices in Europe
 Housing Led with Support the
dominant model
 Housing Led Strategy adopted, but
not an operational reality
 Supported Housing
widespread, but a staircase model
remains central
w Housing Led Strategies not widely
adopted

28. Strategies to Tackle Homelessness in Europe
 National Level Integrated Strategies
 Regional Level Integrated Strategies
w Integrated Strategies not widely
adopted

29. A Right to Housing in Europe?
 Yes
w No

30. Legislation Criminalizing Homelessness / Begging in Europe
 National Level Criminalizing
Vagrancy / Begging
 National level Legislation
Criminalising Aggressive /
Exploitative
 Regional Level Legislation
Criminalising Aggressive /
Exploitative Begging
 No Legislation

31. Summary
• The instruments of social inclusion, and the scale and coverage of welfare provision are not
uniform across the EU. There is some evidence that the more generous welfare regimes
may be more likely to protect citizens from entering at least some forms of homelessness.
• Generous welfare regimes are also less likely to utilise the criminal justice system, as a
means of managing socially and economically marginal households.
• Our knowledge remains very uneven. with a lack of data and understanding on some
aspects of homelessness. More crucially, there is relatively little research in the South and in
the Central and East European member states.
• While the predominant users of services for homeless people are still single men, growing
proportions of women, of younger people and of families with children are reported and -
especially in Western Europe –a growing number of migrants from Central and Eastern
Europe and from outside the European Union.
• Existing services for homeless people in Europe are still to a large extent directed at
covering the most urgent and basic needs and Housing First /Led policies are still in their
infancy.

32. • Further information on the EoH can be found at:
• www.feantsaresearch.org