A presentation given by Michael Kolocek, DE at a FEANTSA Research Conference on "Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe", York, September 2012

1. Insert your logo here
The human right to adequate housing in the
27 Member States of the European Union –
A discourse analysis
Michael Kolocek, TU Dortmund, Germany
michael.kolocek@udo.edu
www.floorgroup.de
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

2. Research project
 FLOOR A: Social Rights – Towards a Global Human
Right to a Civic Minimum (Ulrike Davy, law, Bielefeld)
 FLOOR B: Social Cash Transfers – The Global
Construction and Diffusion of the Right to a Monetary
Minimum (Lutz Leisering, sociology, Bielefeld)
 FLOOR C: Socio-ecological Land Policy (Benjamin Davy,
law, spatial planning, Dortmund)
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

3. Research project
 FLOOR A: Social Rights – Towards a Global Human
Right to a Civic Minimum (Ulrike Davy, law, Bielefeld)
 FLOOR B: Social Cash Transfers – The Global
Construction and Diffusion of the Right to a Monetary
Minimum (Lutz Leisering, sociology, Bielefeld)
 FLOOR C: Socio-ecological Land Policy (Benjamin Davy,
law, spatial planning, Dortmund)
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

4. PhD research
Land Policy
and the Global Social Floor
to Housing
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

5. Human Right to Housing
Universal Declaration
on Human Rights
(1948)
International Covenant International Covenant
on Civil and Political on Economic, Social and
Rights (1966) Cultural Rights (1966)
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

6. Human Right to Housing
Universal Declaration
on Human Rights
(1948)
International Covenant International Covenant
on Civil and Political on Economic, Social and
Rights (1966) Cultural Rights (1966)
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

7. International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
 160 Member States including the 27 EU Member States
 Housing is part of the right to an adequate standard of
living (Article 11, ICESCR)
 Reporting system
 Each Member State has to submit a report every five years to the
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
 470 States Parties reports as research data for a global discourse
analysis
 141 States Parties reports from the 27 EU Member States
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

8. Research questions
 How do the 27 EU Member States respond to the right to
adequate housing in their ICESCR States Parties
reports?
 What are the mentioned causes of and measures to respond
to homelessness?
 Which players are, from the perspective of the 27 EU Member
States, responsible to respond to homelessness?
 What are the main differences by responding to inadequate
housing of the 27 EU ICESCR Member States to Latin American
and African ICESCR Member States?
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

9. The social floor to housing
Inadequate
Housing
Informal, illegal,
irregular
Settlements
Homelessness SPIH Squatters
Emergency
Shelters »Inadequate
Slums Shelter«
SPaces of Inadequate Housing
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

10. Research questions
 How do the 27 EU Member States respond to the right to
adequate housing in their ICESCR States Parties
reports?
 What are the mentioned causes of and measures to respond
to homelessness?
 Which players are, from the perspective of the 27 EU Member
States, responsible to respond to homelessness?
 What are the main differences by responding to inadequate
housing of the 27 EU ICESCR Member States to Latin American
and African ICESCR Member States?
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

11. European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

12. Research questions
 How do the 27 EU Member States respond to the right to
adequate housing in their ICESCR States Parties
reports?
 What are the mentioned causes of and measures to respond
to homelessness?
 Which players are, from the perspective of the 27 EU Member
States, responsible to respond to homelessness?
 What are the main differences by responding to inadequate
housing of the 27 EU ICESCR Member States to Latin American
and African ICESCR Member States?
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

13. Mentioned causes of homelessness
 Individual Causes
 Financial problems, economic debts, drug or alcohol abuse, health problems,
psycho-sociological elements
 Structural Causes
 Situation on housing market, housing crisis, expensive costs of living,
unemployment
 Family and relationship breakdown
 Domestic violence, separation, divorce, family breakdowns, eviction from home
 Other Causes
 Turkish invasion in Cyprus, environmental disasters, accidents (fire)
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

14. Mentioned measures to respond to
homelessness
 Social support
 Integration into society, health care programmes, nutrition programmes, drug
rehabilitation
 Spatial measures
 Small homes programmes, night shelters, temporary shelters, renovation, repair
and improvement, reconstruction
 Financial measures
 Assistance with living costs, credits, donations, housing subsidies, low cost
housing
 Other measures
 Field studies, research, street magazines
 Prevention
 Often not specified and combined with one or more of the four categories above
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

15. Research questions
 How do the 27 EU Member States respond to the right to
adequate housing in their ICESCR States Parties
reports?
 What are the mentioned causes of and measures to respond
to homelessness?
 Which players are, from the perspective of the 27 EU Member
States, responsible to respond to homelessness?
 What are the main differences by responding to inadequate
housing of the 27 EU ICESCR Member States to Latin American
and African ICESCR Member States?
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

16. Many players respond to homelessness
the government–non governmental organizations–private building
sector–society–ministry of education and culture–friends or
relatives–burgomasters–the bank–families–Maltese Charity
Services–authorities–the church–non profit associations–
municipalities–European Union–media–Medicines du Monde–
autonomous communities–private building industries–soup
kitchens–ministry of labour and social affairs–private owners–the
Länder–business associations–experts–religious institutions–self
help (homeless people)–national housing institute–local authorities–
development land cooperation–charitable associations–working
groups–welfare organizations–the parliamentary ombudsman–real
estate management–youth institute–mobile medical service–national
council for statistical information–different complex players
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

17. Governmental NGO+ Market Others
the government–non governmental organizations–private building
sector–society–ministry of education and culture–friends or
relatives–burgomasters–the bank–families–Maltese Charity
Services–authorities–the church–non profit associations–
municipalities–European Union–media–Medicines du Monde–
autonomous communities–private building industries–soup
kitchens–ministry of labour and social affairs–private owners–the
Länder–business associations–experts–religious institutions–self
help (homeless people)–national housing institute–local authorities–
development land cooperation–charitable associations–working
groups–welfare organizations–the parliamentary ombudsman–real
estate management–youth institute–mobile medical service–national
council for statistical information–different complex players
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

18. Governmental NGO+ Market Others
the government–non governmental organizations–private building
sector–society–ministry of education and culture–friends or
relatives–burgomasters–the bank–families–Maltese Charity
Services–authorities–the church–non profit associations–
municipalities–European Union–media–Medicines du Monde–
autonomous communities–private building industries–soup
kitchens–ministry of labour and social affairs–private owners–the
Länder–business associations–experts–religious institutions–self
help (homeless people)–national housing institute–local authorities–
development land cooperation–charitable associations–working
groups–welfare organizations–the parliamentary ombudsman–real
estate management–youth institute–mobile medical service–national
council for statistical information–different complex players
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

19. Governmental NGO+ Market Others
the government–non governmental organizations–private building
sector–society–ministry of education and culture–friends or
relatives–burgomasters–the bank–families–Maltese Charity
Services–authorities–the church–non profit associations–
municipalities–European Union–media–Medicines du Monde–
autonomous communities–private building industries–soup
kitchens–ministry of labour and social affairs–private owners–the
Länder–business associations–experts–religious institutions–self
help (homeless people)–national housing institute–local authorities–
development land cooperation–charitable associations–working
groups–welfare organizations–the parliamentary ombudsman–real
estate management–youth institute–mobile medical service–national
council for statistical information–different complex players
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

20. Governmental NGO+ Market Other
the government–non governmental organizations–private building
sector–society–ministry of education and culture–friends or
relatives–burgomasters–the bank–families–Maltese Charity
Services–authorities–the church–non profit associations–
municipalities–European Union–media–Medicines du Monde–
autonomous communities–private building industries–soup
kitchens–ministry of labour and social affairs–private owners–the
Länder–business associations–experts–religious institutions–self
help (homeless people)–national housing institute–local authorities–
development land cooperation–charitable associations–working
groups–welfare organizations–the parliamentary ombudsman–real
estate management–youth institute–mobile medical service–national
council for statistical information–different complex players
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

21. Players responding to homelessness
the government–non governmental organizations–private building
sector–society–ministry of education and culture–friends or
relatives–burgomasters–the bank–families–Maltese Charity
20%
Services–authorities–the church–non profit associations–
municipalities–European Union–media–Medicines du Monde–
autonomous communities–private building industries–soup
60%
kitchens–ministry of labour and social affairs–private owners–the
4%
Länder–business associations–experts–religious institutions–self
help (homeless people)–national housing institute–local authorities–
development land cooperation–charitable associations–working
16%
groups–welfare organizations–the parliamentary ombudsman–real
estate management–youth institute–mobile medical service–national
council for statistical information
Governmental NGO+ Market Others
N = 421 Quotations in 141 ICESCR States Parties reports
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

22. Research questions
 How do the 27 EU Member States respond to the right to
adequate housing in their ICESCR States Parties
reports?
 What are the mentioned causes of and measures to respond
to homelessness?
 Which players are, from the perspective of the 27 EU Member
States, responsible to respond to homelessness?
 What are the main differences by responding to inadequate
housing of the 27 EU ICESCR Member States to Latin American
and African ICESCR Member States?
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

23. Differences of EU Member States to Latin
American and African ICESCR Member States
 More attention to homelessness than to SPIH
 Other forms of SPIH
 Boundaries between SPIH and homelessness blur
 Less attention to street children
 Greater focus on spatial measures and statistical information
 Global players do not play a very important role by responding to
inadequate housing
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012

24. Thank you for your attention!
Michael Kolocek, TU Dortmund, Germany
michael.kolocek@udo.edu
www.floorgroup.de
European Research Conference
Access to Housing for Homeless People in Europe
York, 21st September 2012