Brussels, 2007-01-10

FEANTSA would like to congratulate its Polish members The Saint Brother Albert Society, Pomeranian Forum, CARTAS Kielce, MONAR Association, The BARKA Foundation and Polish Correspondent of The European Observatory of Homelessness for the creation of this website, exclusively dedicated to the important and complex issue of homelessness and housing exclusion. 

Homelessness exists in all European countries, and is growing in quite a number of them.  The solution to homelessness still needs to be invented, but many successful policies measures and strategies have already been developed across Europe .  There is a wealth of information available about what works and what doesn’t.  We are pleased to see that the website will also provide access to information about interesting developments in other countries.  The potential for transnational mutual learning on the issue of homelessness is great.  We believe that policy makers and other stakeholders, such as NGOs and researchers, should be more open to experiences from abroad and to integrating them, where useful, into domestic policies.  We are sure that this web site will help all interested Polish people and organisations to participate in this process.

Homelessness policies cannot be effective if there is not a good understanding of the scale and the nature of the problem. 

The scale of homelessness will decide to a great extent what policy answers are possible.  Data collection is vital for the design, as well as the evaluation, of policies.  We see that in countries with well-developed data collection systems, statistics can drive homelessness policies.  Statistics make homelessness visible and prevent it from disappearing from the political agenda.  The nature of homelessness seems to be changing more rapidly than in the past.  The archetype of a homeless person - male, middle-aged, alcoholic and suffering from mental health problems – is becoming an anachronism.  The profile of the homeless population is becoming more diverse and these days, increasingly includes women, (single parent) families, immigrants, and employed people.  It is crucial that the changes in the profiles of the homeless population be closely monitored and if possible anticipated.  Effective policies to address homelessness are increasingly needs-based, i.e. adapted to needs, capacities, and aspirations of the person who is homeless.  Therefore a good understanding of the changing profile of the homeless population is relevant to policy.  It is clear that the problem of homelessness amongst women, for instance, needs a different policy response to the problem of homelessness amongst immigrants or single males.

We should, however, not overlook the structural causes of homelessness, which seem to be becoming increasingly significant.  We should not make the mistake of relating the causes for homelessness solely to the individual, although individual experiences might be an important factor in the pathways in and out of homelessness.  Structural causes, such as the affordability of housing and unemployment for instance, need to be addressed if a needs-based approach is to work.  It is not uncommon any longer for people to become homeless because they can simply not afford a house.  The impact of structural causes and the emergence of new structural causes need to be thoroughly researched and monitored. 

It is clear from the above that research is one of the cornerstones of effective homelessness policies. European countries that have integrated a strong research dimension in their homeless policies tend to be more successful.  Evidence-based policies seem to more effective that ideology-driven policies.  A balance between both has to be struck. 

We hope this website will contribute to a more widespread recognition of the importance of knowledge and expertise for the development of effective homelessness policies.  Policies to address and/or prevent homelessness are still too often based on assumptions rather than on facts.  Countries which have integrated a strong research dimension into their homelessness policies tend to be more successful in reducing the number of homeless people than others. 

We wish those responsible for the website every success.

Freek Spinnewijn

Director FEANTSA