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Social and Demographic Change and Homelessness

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Social and Demographic Change and Homelessness IN THIS ISSUE 2 Editorial SocialSocial andand DemographicDemographic 3 Homelessness in Sweden – multiple faces, multiple ehan Change and Homelessness responsibilities Change and Homelessness Ann Jönsson, Annika Remaeus, Maria Boustedt Hedvall & Christina Bohman 5 Migration and Homelessness in Cork, Ireland: The impact of European Union labour Mobility Paul Sheehan 8 Migration and homelessness in Paris Jean-Philippe Horréard 11 Demography and housing deprivation Dragana Avramov 13 Older homeless people in the United Kingdom: continuities and changes Crane M. and Warnes A.M. 16 Child homelessness as a European social reality: Time to face the facts Liz Gosme 19 Homelessness and social transformation in Russia Svetlana Stephenson Older homeless people in the United Kingdom Page 13 -The European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless AISBL of National Organisations Working European Federation -The FEANTSA is supported financially The Magazine of FEANTSA by the European Commission. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and the Autumn 2007 Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. Editorial This edition of the FEANTSA magazine articles of this edition of the FEANTSA focuses on the impact of social and demo- magazine. Immigration flows and home- graphic change. The evolution of the com- lessness are the focus of the articles con- position of the European population and tributed by Paul Sheehan from the organ- the changing social fabric across the EU isation Cork Simon in Ireland and by Jean- are having a major impact on the phe- Philippe Horréard, head of social crisis and nomenon of homelessness. The present integration unit in the Paris City Council autumn 2007 edition brings together the experience of Department of health and social affairs. In service providers and public authorities on Ireland there is a growing trend of home- the ground, and the changes documented lessness among Eastern European migrant by researchers, in order to offer a picture workers, whose situation is complicated in Europe of how the social and demographic con- by a legal provision making it difficult for text has evolved across the EU and how them to access social welfare. In Paris, LESS these changes have become visible in the there are substantial migration inflows experience of homelessness and the pro- from all over the world which have also files of people experiencing homelessness significantly contributed to the scale and HOME in Europe. This is clearly a very complex complexity of the homelessness and hous- subject, encompassing, as it does, a broad ing exclusion in the city. The efforts to 2 range of micro and macro economic, understand and approach this problem are social and political factors. While it is the focus of the article. beyond the scope of this magazine to offer an exhaustive analysis, an interesting Researcher Dragana Avramov highlights overview of some of the principal social the “early warning system” that demogra- and demographic trends impacting on phy can offer. Her article highlights the homelessness across Europe does emerge. complex interplay between demographic and social factors and how demography It is clear that these trends need to be at the can serve to capture a range of predictive heart of the reflection for forward-looking factors that need to be taken into account policy-making on homelessness in Europe. in policy planning. Researcher Maureen The work that is currently taking place to Crane and FEANTSA policy officer Liz develop policies to prevent and reduce Gosme focus on different demographic homelessness and meet the needs of peo- trends and how they have become visible ple suffering homelessness and housing in the profiles of the homeless population. exclusion, needs to take account of the Maureen Crane focuses on older homeless social and demographic landscape in the people in the UK and the challenges of EU in order to be effective. Conversely, pol- meeting the needs of an aging homeless icy-makers working across the spectrum of population. Liz Gosme highlights the policies in areas such as health, long-term problematic European trend towards child care, immigration, housing and social pro- homelessness and the particular policy tection, need to be aware of how policy responses that it calls for. Finally, developments may impact on homeless- researcher Svetlana Stephenson offers a ness. It is clear that the changes in these complex overview of how social change areas are impacting negatively on the impacts on homelessness through her enjoyment of fundamental rights by people examination of how the social and eco- living in Europe and that targeted actions nomic transition from the Soviet Union to are needed to counter this. post Soviet Russia has created a problem- atic growth in homelessness and housing The article from our contributors in the exclusion. This snapshot offers a nuanced National Board of Health and Welfare in understanding of how the macro econom- Sweden offers a comprehensive introduc- ic and political factors that are at play in tion to the theme of social and demo- the social transformation of Russia, and graphic change. It brings together the indeed other societies with a Soviet back- results of a recent mapping of homeless- ground, impact on homelessness and the ness in Sweden and highlights the main profiles of homeless people. problematic trends and the approaches adopted: how the health system fails to As always, FEANTSA would like to extend meet the needs of people who are home- its grateful thanks to all of the contribu- less; the growing numbers of homeless tors to this edition of Homeless in Europe. women and migrants; aging of the home- Your comments and questions on this edi- less population and decline in affordable tion of the FEANTSA magazine are wel- and accessible housing. These are themes come: you can send them to which reoccur throughout the different [email protected].• en d Homelessness in Sweden – multiple faces, e w multiple responsibilities S By Ann Jönsson, Annika Remaeus, Maria Boustedt Hedvall & Christina Bohman, National Board of Health and Welfare, Sweden In June, the National Board of Health and Welfare presented a plan * SITUATION 2. Nearly 2,000 people found themselves in situation on behalf of the government for how the work to combat home- 2. This group consists of people who were intended to be released lessness is to be conducted in the next three years. Collaboration from prison within three months or discharged from some kind of between different stakeholders and viewing homelessness in a institution or supported accommodation without having any broader perspective are essential components of this plan. housing arranged for their release, discharge or move. Homelessness takes many forms and it is therefore the responsibili- * SITUATION 3. About 6,400 people found themselves in situation ty of many. There is not a “typical homeless person”; each individ- 3. This group included people with insecure housing solutions, with ual has his/her own story of why he/she has ended up homeless. a risk for future homelessness. They were staying in treatment However, homelessness is strongly associated with social exclusion – homes or in some form of supported accommodation. Discharge poverty, unemployment, low education, poor health. But it is also was not planned in the next three months, but housing had not important to note that there are people among the homeless who been arranged for any future discharge or move. do not have any other problems apart from the lack of a home. * SITUATION 4. Approximately 4,700 people were in this situation. Homelessness is a problem in itself, regardless of the other difficul- They lived temporarily without contracts with relatives or friends, or ties and problems a person may have. Many different measures are had subletting contracts shorter than three months. They had needed, and many stakeholders have a responsibility and a role to applied to the social services or another organisation for assistance play in combating homelessness. in solving their housing situation. The National Board of Health and Welfare has carried out develop- The homelessness situation during the measurement period was ment work to combat homelessness since 2002. This has involved unknown for about 1,100 people. providing support for local activities and development of methods for local and national measurement. The work of method develop- Big differences can be seen within the group of people listed as ment and mapping has provided valuable knowledge for further homeless. work. It is still more common for men to be homeless than women. In 2005 The National Board of Health and Welfare carried out the Previous mappings also record that men are more likely to be sleep- most recent measurement of homelessness in Sweden. ing rough or live in hostels. The women on average are younger and Approximately 17,800 people were homeless during the measure- have been homeless for shorter periods than the men. They are ment period. It was 2,000-3,000 more than in 1999, when the last more often listed as parents of children younger than 18 years of mapping took place. Three-quarters were men. The average age of age. It is also more common that the women live with their children. the whole group of homeless people was 41. The women’s problem picture is more often characterised by family problems, for example divorce or violence in the family. The women The National Board of Health and Welfare defines homelessness as are more often listed as having mental problems while the men seen through four different situations: more often have addiction problems. * SITUATION 1. About 3,600 people were included in this group Since 1999, the proportion of women and persons born outside the of the most vulnerable homeless people.
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