Presentation given by Bill Edgar at a FEANTSA Research Conference on "Understanding Homelessness and Housing Exclusion in the New European Context", Budapest, Hungary, 2010

1. HOMELESSNESS IN
TRANSITION IN EASTERN
EUROPE
Bill Edgar
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE
ENHR
NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

2. Outline of Presentation
 Post Socialist / Accession Welfare Regime(s)
 Homelessness in Eastern Europe
 Civil Society
 The State
 The Market
 New Welfare Regime and Homelessness
 EU Issues
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

3. Post Socialist / Post Accession
New Welfare Regime(s)
CIVIL
SOCIETY
NGO INFORMAL
FAMILY ECONOMY
WELFARE
FINANCIAL
POLICY STRUCTURAL
STRESS TRANSITION
TO MARKET
ECONOMY
STATE MARKET
PRIVATE INTERESTS
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

4. Elements in the new welfare regimes
(After Hegedus, 2009)
 STATE
 Weak Government
 Capacity of public sector
 Political democracy (wobbly pillar)
 MARKET
 Dominance of private interests
 Informal economy a constraint on efficient welfare programs
 CIVIL SOCIETY
 Limited role of donor agencies / NGOs
 Role of Family – weak(ening)
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

5. HOMELESSNESS IN EASTERN
EUROPE
 Structural Changes of Transition
 Increased vulnerability of marginalised groups
in all transition countries
 Structural Causes
 BUT perception is individual rough sleeping
 Specific Issues (more than in EU-15)
 Roma
 Restitution
 Children
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

6. MPHASIS
 Strategic Co-ordination
 Weak in all countries
 Profile
 Data poor; structural causes important
 Perception / Definition still rough sleeping
 State Provision
 Limited in scale and form
 NGO Role
 Importance varies (Czech, Hungary, Slovenia)
 Lacks capacity and stable funding
 Impact of EU and non-national NGOs
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

7. CIVIL SOCIETY ISSUES
 NGO Sector
 Capacity (Hradecký; Salomon)
 Influence “whispering at the back door”
 Regulation and Service Quality
 Too prescriptive ? – allow innovation
 Professionalisation / Social Work Training
 Accommodation standards, forms of provision
 Funding – level, decentralisation, donor
 Re-familialised countries (Hantrais, 2004)
 Poland (private) – Czech (mixed) – Hungary (public)
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

8. THE STATE
 REGULATION AND FUNDING
 Strong regulation but weaker inspection
 Limited Funding – Decentralisation issues
 Limited state role in provision / purchaser-provider
 Structural Housing Issues
 Public - Stock, allocation
 Private – Finance impacts
 Institutional Issues
 Children / care discharge
 Prisoners
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

9. Market
 Privatisation of State Sector
 Weak allocation framework / access
 Institutional / legal structure
 Emerging Housing Finance Systems
 Different institutional solutions (embryonic)
 High borrowing in foreign currencies
 Housing costs and income / affordability
 Restitution – creating private rental sector
 Diversity in legal enforcement and regulation
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

10. Diversity in Service Provision
(After Hantrais)
Czech
D Slovakia
E Hungary
C
O Slovenia
M
M
O
D
I
F
I Estonia
E Latvia Poland
D Lithuania
Romania
Bulgaria
DE-FAMILIALISED
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

11. New Welfare Regime
 Observatory
 Conservative post-socialist (Central Europe)
 Liberal post-socialist (Baltic)
 Hegedus
 Mixed – Hybrid regime
 Liberal – Mediterranean – South American
 Pressures
 Fiscal Pressure
 Role of Family
 Labour Market weaknesses / informal economy
 Housing market weaknesses
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

12. Implications for Homelessness
 Scale and Profile
 Increase in number and type (chronic, repeat)
 More families, young, women
 State Role
 Lack of co-ordination continuing
 Purchaser-provider nexus not changing
 Services
 Limited in geographical coverage and form
 Quality limited by funding problems and reduction of
EU role
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT

13. EU ISSUES
 Ethos / Measuring Homelessness
 Recognise non-conventional dwellings issue
 Over-crowding and inadequate housing
 Indicators adopted in July 2009
 Role of Census 2011
 Quality Issues
 Structural Housing problems
 Service Quality and Developing Capacity
 Build Research Capacity – target research
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN ENHR
THE NEW EUROPEAN CONTEXT