From Polish Homelessness Abroad to Homelessness in Poland

From Polish Homelessness Abroad
to Homelessness in Poland

Julia Wygnańska
Warsaw Council for the Homeless,
Fundation for Social Innovation
and Research „Shipyard”
Interdisciplinary
Center 'Sciences
EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE for peace’
Homelessness, Migration and Demographic Change in Europe
Pisa, 16th September 2011

Introduction
The situation of Central and Eastern European (A8) work migrants who ended up as
homeless in the streets of Western European cities has recently (2004-2010) been a
point of interest of homelessness research community as the phenomenon became a
noticeable point on the agenda of support services and policy makers.
As Homeless Link put it the A8 migrant constituted „small but significant proportion”
The migrants from Poland caught a lot of attention.
The condition of Polish migrants rough sleeping in European towns focused the
debate on homelessness in new EU member states around that subject leaving
somewhat behind the character of homelessness in their home countries.
The aim of this presentation is to look for links between the above mentioned
interest of European audience to homelessness in the CEE countries: its nature,
causes (data exists) and risk groups (how to find it?).
The presentation stems from the perspective of local researcher from Poland and is
based on research available locally.

EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE

Hypothesis

Significant group of homeless people in European (Brussels, London, Oslo)
and Polish (Warsaw, Tricity) cities consists of people who share common characteristics
in terms of causes to homelessness and support needs. They are work migrants who
came to biger town in search of better employment, income and perspectives for
quality of life. Some of them chosen to migrate to Warsaw and some to London, Oslo
or Brussels…
If so, the risk group which should be approached to prevent homelessness of Polish
immigrants in EU cities and in Polish cities is the same.

The above hypothesis is based on research presented on following 3 slaids.


Research on Polish immigrant population

General view of Polish immigrant population in GB is rather positive:
2006 Eade, Drinkwater, Garapich: (1) Poles as a significant group among
immigrants in GB also before 2004; (2) Poles called „Britan’s favourite migrants”
2011 Frelak, Fomina, „Image/Opinions on Poland nd Poles in GB” Quantitative study
on representative sample of British People: (1) general opinion on the presence of
Poles in GB is positive. (2) Typical immigrant is believed to be a reliable and honest
although unskilled worker. (3) Causes to immigration: better employment, new life
experience (but not running away from unemployment in home country*). Poles
emigrate becasue they want to not because they are pressed by the lack of
perspectives.
2010 Fihel, Grabowska-Lusińska, article on fluency of returns to Poland: (1) Data
on remigration suggests that we should rather talk on the mobility of Poles within EU
then on migration of Poles.
*Ośrodek Badań nad Migracjami UW: 47% of people who emigrated from Poland after 2004 were employed, 22%
unemployed.

WHO SLEEPS ON THE STREETS THEN?


Research on Polish immigrant homeless groups
Mostowska’s research on local groups of homeless Poles in Oslo and Brussels: (1)
Characteristics: family conflicts, arrival in search for employment, lack of social
networks (esp. bridging social capital), low (or none) service use due to
communication problems (language).
Bowpitt et al. studies on Polish subsample of service users in London and
Nottingham: male, all with alcohol issues. (1) Causes to (street) homelessness:
informal employment e.g. loss of tied accommodation with loss of empl; prison
episodes, alcoholism related problems. (2) Barriers to accessing (housing) support:
legal/registration problems (statutory, local connection); language.
Goryńska-Bittner, Barka Network: (1) Causes to homelessness among immigrants:
socio-economic situation in the home country, (unemployment, eviction), social
pathologies (alcoholism, crime, domestic violence), councious choice of a (homeless)
life style -> „Polish immigrants sometimes choose homelessness as an escape from
the past, which is believed to be unique for this nation only”.


Research on Homeless groups in Polish cities
2010 Wola pilot study of users of services for the homeless in Wola district
(about 35% all services in town) (flow for 3 years = 4380): avarage registered night
stock in shelters and nightshelters 308, 342 in all services, 36% aged 51-60, mostly
men, over 80% are lonely/solitary (divorced, serparated or single); non-polish
citizenship 3%; registered local connection in Warsaw 39%, in Mazowia outside
Warsaw 22%, other voivodships 39%.
2003-9 Pomeranian survey (comaprison of data from 4 surveys) on max 2620
people clasiffied as homeless in the Pomeranian Region (flow unavailable):
geographical origin/local connection – not summarised; dominating age group 37%
51-60; causes to homelessness (‘not up to the homeless person’) eviction 43%, being
turned onto the street by the family 29%, loss of employment 20%. Causes (‘up to
the homeless person’): alcoholism 36%; bad health 23%; marriage breakdown due to
the homeless person’s behaviour 23%; own choice (sic!) 23%.
2011 Client register from a Warsaw shelter for single men. Shelter uses client
database from Wola Pilot Study based on MPHASIS and ETHOS (flow for 3 years
571): registered local connection out of Warsaw 75%, non-polish citizenship >1%;
causes to homelessness: personal (alcohol included) 35%, conflict in a
family/household 43%; support needs: alcohol dependancy diagnosed 29%,
suspected 25%, lack of everyday occupation 68%.


Summary - common characteristics
Research based (to some extent):
Originally come from somewhere else then the city they are homeless in - usually
smaller cities which lack life perspectives.
Hoping for good/better employment as major motivation for migration.
Emplyment believed to be a key to success (as opposed to social networks or
housing options).
Lack of social networks and bridging social capital.
Alcohol related problems (alcoholism, low selfesteem, depression).
Legal/registration problems (lack of documents, unclear legat status in therms of
eligibility for support)
Additional:
Poor competence in communication (foreign language abroad or problems
communicating with services and dealing with institutions in a home country)


Hypothesis – probably true but…

Common characteristics can be observed…
… but there is not enough data to confirm the hypothesis…
… however there is enough data to justify the need for research on the risk
groups which is necessary to prevent homelessness of migrants who
became homeless in European (Polish included) cities.
The risk group can be defined as (1) people who are not satisfied with their
emplyment and life opportunities (2) see the solution in migration to bigger
town (3) live in small towns in Poland (4) have low social capital.
Example of research on potencial risk group: Rakowski „Łowcy, zbieracze,
praktycy niemocy” (Hunters, Collectors, Practitioners of Incapacity), 2007


Lessons from local policies/research on homeless Poles abroad to PL?
Accent on immigrants among homeless populations in EU cities. In PL immigtrants
are conceptualised as a separate group from the homeless eventhough they might be
on the streets or in marginal housing situation. Proporton of immigrants amoung
homless service users is marginal (up to 3% declare citizenship other then Polish).
eg. Web pages for immigrants within webpages of services for homeless people (Homelesslink).
In Poland alcohol dependancy is often understood as a cause to homelessness and a
choice of a lifestyle (PL – Goryńska-Bittner) whereas in GB it is researched as a
support need (GB - Bowpitt) and a disease which should be adequately treated (e.g.
core variables on homelessness by MPHASIS).
Conducting research on homelessness in order to provide baseline for effective policy
(PL concentration on stock and point in time measures).
Social capital as an important term/theory which should be used to characterise
homeless population in PL.


Some points on PL to abroad
Significant proportion of homeless people in Polish cities are work migrants who were
hoping for improvements but were not able to succeed => they are also in Poland not
only in London, Brussels and Oslo!
In Poland employment and family reunion are considered top options for supporting
homeless people in getting out of homelessness. (Like one of Bowpitt’s respondents
pointed out): “Number one is work [then] room is no problem because I go to work
and will pay you £40 or £35 per week no problem, because I work and am making
money”.


References
Fihel, A., Grabowska-Lusińska, I., (2010) „Płynność powrotów do Polski. Studia Migracyjne - Przegląd Polonijny.
Zeszyt 4/2010, Instytut Badań nad Migracjami, Warszawa, http://www.migracje.uw.edu.pl/publ/1506/
Frelak, J., Fomina J. (2011) „Wizerunek Polski i Polaków w Wielkiej Brytanii”, Instytut Spraw Publicznych ISP,
Wygnańska, J., „Wolski Pilotaż” Fundacja Pracownia Badań i Innowacji Społecznych Stocznia, Warszawa
www.bezdomnosc.edu.pl (expected)
PFWB (2010) „Najważniejsze wyniki badań socjodemograficznych dla Województwa Pomorskiego. Lata 2003-
2009”, http://www.pfwb.org.pl/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Wyniki-badania-socjodemograficznego-2009-
porownanie.pdf
Eade, J., Drinkwater, M., Garapich, S., (2006) Poles Apart? EU Enlargement and the Labour
Market Outcomes of Immigrants in the UK, IZA DP No. 2410
Mostowska, M. (2010) Migration networks and homelessness. Pathways through rooflessness of Polish migrants
in Oslo, ENHR 2010, 4-7 July, ISTANBUL
Mostowska, M. (2010) „Using Services for the Homeless Abroad. Polish Rough Sleepers in Brussels and Oslo” ,
presentation for FEANTSA Research Conference 2010 in Budapest
Bowpit, G., Dwyer, P., Sundin, E., Weinstein, M., (2010) „Land of opportunity? Comparing street homeless
experiences between Polish migrants and UK citizens in two British cities”, presentation for FEANTSA Research
Conference 2010 in Budapest
Goryńska-Bittner, B. (2010) „Diagnosis of a scale and nature of homelessness relating to Poles living in Europe”,
working paper, Barka Network


„Small but significant proportion”?
A8 nationals in London homelessness services – 2006 ¾ have A* nationals among clients, about 15% clients are A8 and
majority of 68% are Polish;
A majority of services found that A8 nationals faced problems of accommodation, employment, language difficulties and lack
of knowledge of the UK system. Much fewer saw A8 nationals with support needs normally associated with rough sleeping
such as drug or alcohol misuse or mental and physical health problems.
November 2007 – Out of the 402 rough sleepers recorded in total that week, 74 of them were from Central & Eastern
Europe. Za homeless link Central and Eastern European Rough Sleepers in London: Baseline Survey
November 2008 - Out of the 508 rough sleepers recorded 126 (25%) of them were from Central and Eastern Europe.
2011 London has the highest number of rough sleepers, with a total of 415. 12 Local Authorities in London conducted street
counts between October - November 2010, finding 262 people sleeping rough. The other 21 Local Authorities submitted
rough sleeping estimates with a total of 153 rough sleepers. In London 26% - 8% more then the year before are A8
nationals.
The CHAIN database, a London-based recording system that records figures on rough sleepers, show that 3’673 people
were seen rough sleeping in the Capital last year. This is 201 more than the previous year.
Homeless link – small but significant proportion of A8 migrants are ending up homeless and destitute in London- 2006.


From Polish Homelessness Abroad to Homelessness in Poland

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