Presentation given by Aidan Culhane of the Department for the Environment, Community, and Local Government, Ireland at the FEANTSA/HABITACT seminar "Tackling homelessness as a social investment for the future: Looking at the bigger picture", 12th June 2013, Amsterdam

1. European Co-
operation on
Homelessness
under the 2013
Irish Presidency
of the EU
Aidan Culhane
FEANTSA/Habitact Seminar
Amsterdam, 12 June 2013

2. Why co-operate?
 Homelessness is bad!
 Homelessness is expensive
 Migration
 Causes of Homelessness are the same
 Emerging thinking (Housing-led etc)

3. Europe and Homelessness
 Europe 2020

4. Europe and Homelessness
 Europe 2020
 European Consensus Conference 2010

5. Europe and Homelessness
 Europe 2020
 European Consensus Conference 2010
 Joint Report on Social Protection and
Social Exclusion 2010

6. Europe and Homelessness
 Europe 2020
 European Consensus Conference 2010
 Joint Report on Social Protection and
Social Exclusion 2010
 European Parliament Resolution 2011

7. Europe and Homelessness
 Europe 2020
 European Consensus Conference 2010
 Joint Report on Social Protection and
Social Exclusion 2010
 European Parliament Resolution 2011
 Committee of the Regions Opinion 2011

8. Europe and Homelessness
 Europe 2020
 European Consensus Conference 2010
 Joint Report on Social Protection and
Social Exclusion 2010
 European Parliament Resolution 2011
 Committee of the Regions Opinion 2011
 EPSCO conclusions 2012

9. Europe and Homelessness
 Social Investment package
 “comprehensive strategies based on
prevention, housing-led approaches and
reviewing regulations and practices on
eviction”

10. Leuven Roundtable 2013

11. Principle 1 (Develop and Share
Knowledge and Best Practice)
 With the risk of homelessness in all
Member States increasing, there is a need
to develop and share knowledge about
homelessness so as to greatly improve the
quality of homelessness responses at a
national, regional, and local level.

12. Principle 2 (Core Elements for
Response)
 Housing-led approaches
 Prevention and early intervention
 Supply
 Additional supports may be required
 There may be more than one appropriate
housing option for households
 Integrated approach
 Voluntary sector is a critical element of
this approach.

13. Principle 3 (Funding)
 Adequate level of funding
 Better utilisation of EU financing
instruments to combat homelessness is
recommended as a priority on a national
and EU level.

14. Principle 4 (Common
Reference Framework)
 A comprehensive reference framework
for homelessness can improve the
capacity for data collection, comparison
and analysis.
 A standardised typology, having regard
to the framework of the ETHOS definition
should be encouraged across all Member
States.

15. Principle 5 (Research,
Innovation and Data
Collection)
 Research and ongoing development of
knowledge, and innovative approaches
are required.
 A trans-border cooperation and learning
network should be reinforced.

16. What next ?

17. What next ?
Baby steps!

18. Principle 6 (Implementation
and Monitoring)
 1. Encourage the development and
implementation of national homelessness
plans should be encouraged, and advice
and expertise should be made available
where required.

19. Principle 6 (Implementation
and Monitoring)
 2. Adequate measurement and reporting
mechanisms on policy implementation
are vital to ensuring the quality of service
provision and identifying improvements
and efficiencies. Such mechanisms could
also aid research and development of
best practice domestically and at a
European level.

20. Principle 6 (Implementation
and Monitoring)
 3. In this context, measurement and
monitoring of homelessness should be
reinforced. Standardised monitoring
methods and regular data
collection/evaluation mechanisms should
be implemented, within existing
frameworks.

21. Principle 6 (Implementation
and Monitoring)
 4. The monitoring of homelessness and
housing exclusion, and the collection of
(non-) harmonised data on homelessness
should be undertaken. The analysis of
trends and development of homelessness,
the exchange of good practices e.g.
through peer reviews on homelessness
and through promoting transnational
cooperation and exchange on data
collection should be pursued.

22. Principle 6 (Implementation
and Monitoring)
 5. The Commission should support and
facilitate Member States in their efforts to
combat homelessness through
implementation of the Social Investment
Package in a defined way.

23. Principle 6 (Implementation
and Monitoring)
 6. It is recognised that there is a need for
further meetings of Ministers with
responsibility for homelessness under the
auspices of future Presidencies. Such
meetings could discuss issues relating to
specific target groups such as migrants,
domestic violence and women
experiencing homelessness.

24. What next?
 Social Protection Committee
 Future Meetings

25. What next?
 Social Protection Committee
 Future Meetings
… an EU Strategy?