Pilot project - Promoting protection of the right to housing - Homelessness prevention in the context of evictions VT/2013/056 Full report - final version Human European Consultancy School of Law, National University of Ireland Galway FEANTSA Social Europe EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Directorate Social Affairs Unit C3: Disability and Inclusion European Commission B-1049 Brussels Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). LEGAL NOTICE This document has been prepared for the European Commission however it reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://www.europa.eu). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016 ISBN: 978-92-79-58049-9 doi:10.2767/463280 © European Union, 2016 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. For any use of photo which are not under the European Union copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder(s) indicated. Pilot project - Promoting protection of the right to housing - Homelessness prevention in the context of evictions VT/2013/056 Pilot project – Promoting protection of the right to housing – Homelessness prevention in the context of evictions Final report edited by: Kenna, P., Benjaminsen, L., Busch-Geertsema, V. and Nasarre-Aznar, S. (2016) iii Pilot project - Promoting protection of the right to housing - Homelessness prevention in the context of evictions VT/2013/056 This report was financed by and prepared for the use of the European Commission, Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, as part of the ‘Promoting protection of the right to housing – Homelessness prevention in the context of evictions’ pilot project. It does not necessarily represent the Commission’s official position. © European Union, 2016 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. iv Pilot project - Promoting protection of the right to housing - Homelessness prevention in the context of evictions VT/2013/056 Contents Contributors .............................................................................................................. viii List of abbreviations ..................................................................................................... x Index of EU Member States...................................................................................... xiii Part I ............................................................................................................................ 1 1 Executive summary ............................................................................................. 1 Subject matter............................................................................................. 1 Findings and main conclusions ................................................................... 1 Recommendations .................................................................................... 12 Comparison of some EU (and non-EU) best practices ............................. 13 Limitations of the research ........................................................................ 16 2 Background ....................................................................................................... 17 Introduction ............................................................................................... 17 Aims and objectives of the study .............................................................. 17 Structure of the report ............................................................................... 18 Significance of the research ..................................................................... 19 Conceptual and methodological approach ................................................ 20 Eviction processes: decision to evict and phases ........................ 21 Defining homelessness ................................................................ 23 EU policy and evictions ............................................................................. 24 Promoting protection of the right to housing ............................................. 26 Protection at Member State level ................................................. 27 European Union law ..................................................................... 30 United Nations and Council of Europe instruments ...................... 32 Linking national and international protection ................................ 35 International - non-EU best practices ........................................................ 37 3 Findings ............................................................................................................ 42 Introduction - data availability and limited comparability ........................... 42 Comparative analysis of data and the underlying variations ..................... 47 Comparative analysis of trends between 2010 and 2013 ......................... 56 Member States with indicators showing a relatively low level of change in eviction trends between 2010 and 2013 ...................... 57 Member States with indicators showing a decrease by more than 10 % during the observation period ............................................. 58 Member States with indicators showing an increase by more than 10 % during the observation period ............................................. 60 Member States with indicators showing different trends between 2010 and 2013 ............................................................................. 62 Conclusions for data comparability .............................................. 66 Triggers, catalysts and inhibitors .............................................................. 67 Average length of the judicial eviction process ......................................... 69 Profiles of evicted households and individuals ......................................... 71 Comparative analysis – characteristics of the households involved in the process of eviction .................................................................................... 72 Conclusions .............................................................................................. 75 4 Risk factors for eviction ..................................................................................... 78 Introduction ............................................................................................... 78 v Pilot project - Promoting protection of the right to housing - Homelessness prevention in the context of evictions VT/2013/056 Overall variations in patterns of risk factors and mechanisms behind evictions .................................................................................................... 80 Vulnerable people with complex needs at risk of eviction in Northern and Western Member States ........................................................................... 86 Poverty, unemployment and weaker social protection systems as main reasons for evictions in CEE and Southern Member States ..................... 92 CEE Member States .................................................................... 92 Southern EU Member States ....................................................... 95 Conclusion ................................................................................................ 96 5 Evictions as a pathway to homelessness .......................................................... 98 Introduction ............................................................................................... 98 Evidence on the link between evictions and homelessness in Northern Member States ......................................................................................... 98 Evidence on the link between evictions and homelessness in Western Member States ....................................................................................... 101 Short-term tenancies as a major pathway into homelessness in the United Kingdom ................................................................................................. 103 Evidence emerging on the link between evictions and homelessness in Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Southern European Member States ..................................................................................................... 105 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 108 Part II Prevention and anti-eviction measures: analysis and recommendations 110 6 Examining prevention and related anti-eviction measures .............................. 110 Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention measures ............................ 110 Conclusion: prevention versus cure ........................................................ 114 7 Primary prevention measures ......................................................................... 115 Introduction ............................................................................................. 115 Welfare-related state housing measures ................................................ 116 Income and housing benefits ..................................................... 116 Housing system-related