Question for written answer E-001725/2020 to the Commission Rule 138 Katrin Langensiepen (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), Alice Kuhnke (Verts/ALE), Pär Holmgren (Verts/ALE), Jakop G. Dalunde (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Verts/ALE)

Subject: The situation of homeless people during the coronavirus epidemics in the EU

Priority 16 of the European Pillar of Social Rights states that ‘everyone has the right to timely access to affordable, preventive and curative health care of good quality’.

With the ongoing coronavirus epidemics, EU governments and health organisations advise people to wash their hands frequently with alcohol-based hand rubs or soap and water, avoid contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms and isolate themselves if they have been at risk of infection.

While such medical advice might be applicable to millions of Europeans, homeless people – many of whom have compromised immune systems, no access to water to wash their hands and no possibility of self-isolation when needed – are especially vulnerable, both in overcrowded shelters and when living unsheltered in unsanitary and unsafe conditions.

Given that at least 700 000 people are homeless every night in the EU, we would like to know: if the Commission is planning to take any targeted and coordinated measures relating to homeless people as part of their steps to address the spread of the coronavirus epidemics; if the Commission will consider developing an EU framework for national homelessness strategies in order to put a stop to the violation of the human rights and dignity of homeless people?

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