More 895,000 people find themselves without a home on any given night, seeking refuge in homeless shelters or enduring life on the streets in the European Union.
Homelessness has surged in the European Union over the past 15 years, doubling in most Member States and leaving a significant impact on the region as a whole.
The European Union: Ending Homelessness by 2030
The European Parliament aims to end homelessness by 2030. They propose an EU framework for national strategies, advocate for decriminalizing homelessness, and urge EU countries to increase funding to address the issue.
In June 2021, the European Platform on Combating Homelessness (EPOCH) was introduced under the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU. It received support from the European Commission and brought together all 27 EU Member States, along with the Commission, European Parliament, EESC, Committee of the Regions, NGOs, and stakeholders. This collaborative effort, aligned with the Lisbon Declaration, emphasizes the importance of a housing-led approach in preventing and addressing homelessness.
A Critical Issue for Vulnerable Communities
Numerous people find themselves without proper dwellings, forced to seek shelter in doorways, squats, abandoned structures, parks, and other unsuitable locations. This pressing issue particularly affects vulnerable groups including the Roma community, victims of domestic violence, street children, individuals with disabilities, refugees, migrants, internally displaced persons, tenants without secure housing, and those in the lowest socio-economic bracket.
One of the approaches adopted by the EU to overcome the problem of homelessness is Housing First. Unlike traditional approaches, it does not require individuals to meet certain criteria before receiving housing benefit. The main idea is that homeless people have a better chance of creating a bright future for themselves if they first have a roof over their heads Housing First sees housing as a right, not a reward, as enshrined in Principle 19 of the European Framework of Social Rights. However, each country implements the approach according to its own different circumstances. Therefore, the approach has had varying degrees of success in the EU.
Austria is getting there, but way to slowly
In just 15 years, the number of homeless individuals in Vienna, the capital of Austria, has reached a staggering level that matches the total homeless population throughout the entire country in 2008.
In Austria, the number of registered homeless or individuals without stable housing stands at 19,450, with Vienna accounting for 11,340 of them. According to the Social Ministry, this is 8050 people more than in the base year of 2008, when 11,400 people were recorded (an increase of 70.61%). The problem is being compounded by the current inflation rates, pushing more individuals who were once part of the societal core to the fringes.
Finland: an Example for the EU in Tackling Homelessness
Finland is the only exception in the European Union, showing the effectiveness of implementing a long-term homelessness strategy. At the end of 2023, there were only 3400 homeless people in Finland, which is 286 less than in 2022, Finnish Housing Finance and Development Centre’s (Ara) homelessness survey recorded.
About two-thirds of the homeless stay temporarily with friends and relatives due to lack of housing. Homelessness among families, women, and young people also saw a decrease, but there was an increase in the number of homeless immigrants. While Helsinki has the highest concentration of homeless individuals, it has experienced a significant decrease, accounting for over half of the nationwide decline. There were about 160 less homeless people in Helsinki than last year.
However, concerns remain about rising evictions and the growing number of people staying in dormitories. In Finland's successful approach to homelessness serves as a model, but continued efforts are needed to maintain progress, -Ara’s experts reported. The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland, Ara, has major responsibility for the implementation of Finnish housing policy.
Every night in Europe, almost 850,000 people sleep on the streets or in a temporary shelter. A place that is difficult to call home. This number is almost equal to half of the population living in Austria's capital Vienna. According to the "Third overview of housing exclusion in Europe" report, the life expectancy of homeless is 30 years less than that predicted for the rest of the population. Will Europe find a solution by 2030, as it is already the case in countries like Finland and Denmark?
Probably not, but some countries are already approaching the finish line.
FH der WKW Cornelia Dlabaja