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European Observatory on Homelessness European Journal of Homelessness Quality and Standards in Homelessness Services and Housing for Marginal Groups Volume 1 _ December 2007 194, Chaussée de Louvain n 1210 Brussels n Belgium Tel.: + 32 2 538 66 69 n Fax: + 32 2 539 41 74 [email protected] n www.feantsa.org EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HOMELESSNESS Journal Philosophy The European Journal of Homelessness provides a critical analysis of policy and practice on homelessness in Europe for policy makers, practitioners, researchers and academics. 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 journal seeks to give international exposure to significant national, regional and local developments and to provide a forum for comparative analysis of policy and practice in preventing and tackling homelessness in Europe. The journal will also assess the lessons for Europe which can be derived from policy, practice and research from elsewhere. The European Journal of Homelessness is produced by FEANTSA’s European Observatory on Homelessness. Co-ordinator Bill Edgar, European Housing Research Ltd, Dundee, UK Editorial Team Joe Doherty, Centre for Housing Research, St Andrews University, UK Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Centre for Housing Policy, University of York, UK Eoin O’Sullivan, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland Core Research Team Lars Benjaminsen, SFI, The Danish National Centre for Social Research, Copenhagen, Denmark. Volker Busch-Geertsema, GISS, Bremen, Germany Iskra Dandolova, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria Joe Doherty, Centre for Housing Research, University of St Andrews, UK Evelyn Dyb, Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, Oslo, Norway Maša Filipović, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Centre For Housing Policy, University of York, UK Marie Loison, Equipe De Recherche Sur Les Inégalités Sociales, France Eoin O’Sullivan, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland Antonio Tosi, Milan Polytechnic, Milan, Italy Julia Wygnanska, Independent Researcher, Poland In addition the following researchers contributed to this publication : Isobel Anderson, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK Isabel Baptista, CESIS, Lisbon, Portugal Pascal De Decker, University College, Ghent, Belgium Ilja Hradecky, Nadje, Prague, Czech Republic Ingrid Sahlin, Department of Social Work, Göteborg University, Sweden Mark Stephens, University of York, York, UK Pál Péter Tóth, Demographic Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary Judith Wolf, UMC St Radboud, Nijmegen, Netherlands Call for papers The next volume of the Journal has the theme – “ Effectiveness of policies and services for the homeless ”. The Editors welcome articles on this topic. Draft articles should be submitted by June 16th 2008. Details of submission and notes for contributors can be downloaded from the FEANTSA website www.feantsa.org. 4 European Journal of Homelessness _ Volume 1, December 2007 Content Foreword 7 Editorial 9 Articles Judith Wolf and Bill Edgar Measuring Quality of Services and Provision in Homelessness 15 Suzanne Fitzpatrick and Julia Wygnan´ ska Harmonising Hostel Standards : Comparing the UK and Poland 41 Volker Busch-Geertsema and Ingrid Sahlin The Role of Hostels and Temporary Accommodation 67 Eoin O’Sullivan and Pascal De Decker Regulating the Private Rental Housing Market in Europe 95 Evelyn Dyb and Marie Loison Impact of Service Procurement and Competition on Quality and Standards in Homeless Service Provision 119 Bill Edgar with Maša Filipovic´ and Iskra Dandolova Home Ownership and Marginalisation 141 Evaluation Isobel Anderson Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness : the Scottish Case 163 Marie Loison The Implementation of an Enforceable Right to Housing in France 185 Content 5 Think Pieces Mark Stephens and Suzanne Fitzpatrick Welfare Regimes, Housing Systems and Homelessness : How are they linked ? 201 Volker Busch-Geertsema Measures to Achieve Social Mix and their Impact on Access to Housing for People who are Homeless 213 Antonio Tosi Homelessness and the Control of Public Space – Criminalising the Poor ? 225 Lars Benjaminsen & Antonio Tosi Quality Housing for Marginal Groups : Dilemmas and Challenges 237 Reviews Sveltlana Stephenson (2006) Crossing the Line : Vagrancy, Homelessness and Social Displacement in Russia. 249 Mirosław Starzyn´ ski and Julia Wygnan´ska (Eds.) (2007) Second Opportunity – Wola Social Reintegration Programme. 253 Volker Busch-Geertsema, Jürgen Evers and Ekke-Ulf Ruhstrat (2005) Effectiveness of Personal and Economic Support in Preventing Homelessness. 257 6 European Journal of Homelessness _ Volume 1, December 2007 7 Foreword Hannu Puttonen, FEANTSA President This is the first volume of the European Journal of Homelessness which is produced by FEANTSA’s European Observatory on Homelessness. FEANTSA hopes that this Journal, which will be an annual publication, will provide a valuable platform for debate on issues affecting policy-making, intervention and service provision in the field of homelessness in Europe. The Journal has been structured to provide a range of formats for discussion. The articles in the journal provide an academic reflection on the issues drawing upon existing research and empirical knowledge. The think pieces are intended to provide more provocative viewpoints on controversial issues or on issues for which little academic evidence exists. The think pieces will hopefully stimulate debate in the academic world but also amongst service providers and policy makers. The Journal also has a section where a interesting policy is reviewed from different country perspectives to better understand if and to what extent the policy would be transferable to other countries. Finally, the Journal aims, in the review section, to provide exposure to research that may otherwise not be visible to the wider European academic, policy and practitioner audience. Each volume of the Journal will focus on a selected theme chosen to reflect the interests of policy makers and service providers. The theme of this volume is timely in the light of the on-going European debate on how to legislate on social services of general interest in order to protect their quality and promote their effectiveness. While there is an intention to modernise social services (including homeless services) and to improve standards of provision, FEANTSA member organisations are all too well aware of the pressures and unintended consequences of contracting and procurement procedures that can act to drive down standards in the search for cost effectiveness and value for money. While the FEANTSA member organisations have a strong input to the choice of theme, the content of the Journal is the responsibility of the editorial team and the European Observatory on Homelessness. As such the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FEANTSA or its member organisations. My sincere thanks go to the contributors and editors of the Journal for the hard work involved in launching this new contribution to the debate on solving homeless- ness in Europe. I am excited by the structure and content of this first volume and trust you will find it stimulating and informative. 8 European Journal of Homelessness _ Volume 1, December 2007 9 Editorial Bill Edgar The Purpose and Approach to the Journal We are pleased to introduce this first volume of the European Journal of Homelessness and trust that you will find it stimulating and thought-provoking as well as informative. The aim of the Journal is to stimulate debate on homelessness and housing exclusion at European level and to facilitate the development of a stronger evidential base for policy development and innovation. The journal seeks to give international exposure to significant developments at national level and, in particular, to provide a forum for comparative analysis of policy and practice in preventing and tackling homelessness in Europe. Future editions of the journal will also assess the lessons for Europe which can be derived from policy, practice and research from elsewhere. The main articles in each volume of the Journal will focus on a specific theme of relevance to current policy and practice developments across Europe. The theme selected for this first volume is the quality of services and housing for homeless people and households vulnerable to homelessness. The next issue will focus on the effectiveness of policies to prevent and tackle homelessness. These broad annual themes will be informed by the interests of FEANTSA member organisations across Europe but the editorial independence of the Journal is assured. Thus the views expressed in the Journal should not be taken to reflect those of FEANTSA or its member organisations. We intend that the Journal will be of interest to policy makers at all levels of govern- ment, practitioners and volunteers, funding agencies, academics, researchers and students. While aiming to maintain the rigorous academic standards, in keeping with an international scholarly journal, the editors will strive to ensure that the content is relevant and accessible to a range of audiences with an interest in homelessness policies at both national and European level. In order to ensure a broad dissemination, the Journal will be available (from FEANTSA) in hard copy format and will also be produced as an electronic journal (www.feantsa.org/research/journal). 10 European Journal of Homelessness
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