Strategies and policies tackling homelessness and housing exclusion in Europe

• Author: Isabel Baptista - Eric Marlier
• Pages: 54-74

National strategies to fight home lessness and housing exclusion Synthesis Report

54

2 STRATEGIES AND POLICIES TACKLING HOMELESSNESS AND

HOUSING EXCLUSION IN EUROPE

There is growing evidence that, in recent years, HHE have emerged – or have been consolidated –

as a specific target of public policies in most EU Member States. Yet, the extent to which consistent

policy frameworks have been established varies considerably across Europe. A growing number of

Member States have developed integrated national or regional strategies to tackle HHE, but in

many others HHE policies remain largely separate and uncoordinated.

Section 2 provides an overview of the extent to which strategic responses to homelessness – either

developed as a specific strategy (at national or regional level) or as part of wider strategies – are

in place in Europe, based on the information contained in the 35 ESPN national reports. Sub-section

2.1 looks at the extent of national or regional strategic approaches to homelessness, either as

specific policies or as an integrated part of overall strategies or plans, addressing poverty and

social exclusion, housing or other related policy fields. It also includes a brief presentation of the

main objectives and overall approaches of such strategic frameworks. Sub-section 2.2 presents a

summarised description of the extent to which existing strategies are actually being implemented,

monitored and evaluated, including evidence on their effectiveness in tackling HHE. Sub-section 2.3

looks at the level and consistency of funding mechanisms allocated to address HHE across the

different European countries, including the role of EU funding (e.g. European Social Fund [ESF],

European Regional Development Fund [ERDF], Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived [FEAD])

in enhancing HHE responses. Finally, Sub-section 2.4 provides a summary table identifying whether

EU indicators on housing (e.g. housing cost overburden, overcrowding, severe housing deprivation,

arrears on mortgage or rent payments) have (not) been used to monitor HHE as part of countries’

strategic approaches.

2.1 The extent of European countries’ strategic approaches to homelessness

The presence of strategic overall approaches has a strong potential to improve outcomes for

homeless people and to reduce HHE over time. Such frameworks tend to provide a sound basis for

the development of more integrated and coordinated responses to homelessness, although actual

and consistent achievements in reducing homelessness demand more than the mere development

of “plans”, “action plans”, “strategies” or “programmes”.

Table 7 summarises the extent to which countries have developed overall strategic policy

frameworks to address homelessness, either as specific national or regional strategies, or as part

of wider policy frameworks with a specific approach towards tacking homelessness. In those

countries where no specific approach to homelessness has been reported, the table identifies the

wider national or regional strategies which national experts indicated as relevant to addressing

HHE, although no specific approach to homelessness is included in such documents. Only one

national expert (from Turkey) did not report the existence of any relevant strategic policy

framework.

National strategies to fight home lessness and housing exclusion Synthesis Report

55

Table 7: Extent of strategic approaches to homelessness in Europe

Specific

homelessness

strategies (1)

Specific

approach

within

wider

national

strategies

Wider

strategy

only

(non-specific

approach)

Strategy(ies) designation (2)

National Regional

Austria √

Integrated homelessness strategies

in Vienna, Upper Austria and

Voralberg

Belgium √

Integrated Plan Against

Homelessness 2017-2019

(Flanders)

Bulgaria √ National Poverty Reduction and

Social Inclusion Strategy 2020

Cyprus √

Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI)

scheme; National Action Plan to

Prevent and Combat Violence in the

Family; Estia scheme

Czechia √

The Concept of Preventing and

Tackling Homelessness Issues in

the Czech Republic until 2020

Germany √ North Rhine-Westphalia

Homelessness Strategy

Denmark √

2009 National Homelessness

Strategy; Action Plan to reduce

homelessness 2019-2021

Estonia √

Welfare Development Plan;

Development Plan for Children and

Families; Estonian energy

management development plan

Greece √* National Strategy for homeless

people in Greece

Spain √

Comprehensive National Strategy

for Homelessness 2015-2020 (ENI-

PSH 2015-2020)

Finland √

National Action Plan for Preventing

Homelessness in Finland (AUNE)

2016-2019

France √

Five-year plan to implement

Housing First and combat

homelessness

Croatia √ Strategy for Combating Poverty and

Social Exclusion

Hungary √ National Social Inclusion Strategy II

Ireland √

Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for

Housing and Homelessness;

The Housing First National

Implementation Plan 2018-2021

Italy √ Guidelines for Tackling Severe Adult

Marginality in Italy

Lithuania √

National housing strategy; Action

Plan for Increasing Social Inclusion

in 2014-2020; Action Plan for the

development/ expansion of access

to social housing