EU context Potential for enhancing transnational cooperation

1. EU context Potential for enhancing transnational cooperation Brussels – 27 June 2011

2. Background • Joint Report EPSCO Council 2010 • « Integrated strategies to address homelessness have an important role to play in post-crisis policies » • Guidelines • Proper governance • Evidence-base • Targets • Comprehensive & Multi-dimensional • Housing-led • Written Declarations EP • End street homelessness 2008 • EU homelessness strategy 2010 • End homelessnessness • Rough sleeping • Social emergencies • Integration • Young homeless • Discharge • EY2010 Final Declaration European Council 2010 • Challenges ahead • “Particular attention should be given to vulnerable groups such as migrants, the Roma and other ethnic minorities and to extreme forms of poverty such as homelessness. No one should be left behind”

3. Background (2) • CoR Own Initiative Report 2010 • The basis for discussion must be that the EU Member States are facing a shared problem. Homelessness afflicts individuals … and it occurs in all the EU Member States. We therefore need joint measures (at EU level) to prevent and reduce homelessness • EU Agency • EESC Own Initiative Report (forthcoming) • SPC activities • Light Year on homelessness 2009 • Country reports • EU Independent expert network research • « It is essential that homelessness be considered an integral part of the Social OMC and be consolidated and continued post 2010 » • EU Housing Ministers Meeting call 2010 • « Homelessness and housing exclusion should be taken into account fully within European Union social inclusion strategy in order to allow significant progress on these issues » 2008 • « That the results of the forthcoming Consensus Conference on Homelessness (December 2010) should be integrated within the European Union social inclusion strategy « 2010 • Commissioner Andor support • Public interventions • Tweet last week • « EU must deal with rising #homelessness & invest in #social#innovation. « 

4. EU 2020 Agenda • EU Programme 2010-2020 • Centered on economic growth and employment • EC Communication endorsed by Council (June 2010) • In the framework of the EPAP member states will need to « Define and implement measures addressing the specific circumstances of groups at particular risk (such as one-parent families, elderly women, minorities, Roma, people with a disability and the homeless) » • Limited nr of target groups • Council conclusions on the employment guidelines (Oct 2010) • Benefit systems should focus on ensuring income security during transitions and reducing poverty, in particular among groups most at risk from social exclusion, such as one-parent families, minorities including the Roma, people with disabilities, children and young people, elderly women and men, legal migrants and the homeless. Member States should also actively promote the social economy and social innovation in support of the most vulnerable • Limited nr of target groups

5. EU 2020 Agenda (2) • National Reform Programmes • Replace NAPs • Very little space for social inclusion • But important for agenda setting • 12 countries mention homelessness as a specific problem that requires EU policy intervention. • some refer to the need for a specific strategy (France, Luxembourg, Finland, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Belgium); • some consider homeless people as a specific target of their employment and/or housing policies (UK, Spain, Poland) • some see homeless people as specific target group of social inclusion policies (Ireland, Romania, Greece). • some raise the need for targeting and the need to focus on the most excluded/extreme poverty (such as Slovenia, Italy). • few countries don't mention homelessness but policies are also aimed at homeless and/or target groups mentioned overlap and are increasingly supported by homeless sector - ex Roma (such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Czech Republic). • some have hardly anything on social inclusion and therefore also nothing on homelessness (such as Germany and Netherlands). • some have nothing on homelessness in spite of their good policies and transnational work on homelessness (Sweden, Austria, and Denmark). • No targets related to homelessness • EC country specific recommendations • Nothing substantial on on poverty

6. EPAP – what is in it for homelessnesss? • Identify methods and means to best continue the work it has started on homelessness and housing exclusion, taking into account the outcome of the consensus conference of December 2010. • EU Strategy?! • Develop the Voluntary European Quality Framework on social services at sectoral level, including in the field of long-term care and homelessness. • To guide EU funding from Structural Funds?! • The Commission will support through the PROGRESS programme regular exchanges and partnerships between a wider set of stakeholders in specific priority areas, such as active inclusion, child poverty, Roma inclusion, homelessness and financial inclusion • Funding base for Ministries Forum ?! • Promote the sustainable involvement of civil society through the PROGRESS programme by providing support to key EU wide networks as well as through regular exchanges and partnerships between a wider set of stakeholders in specific priority areas, such as active inclusion, child poverty, Roma inclusion, homelessness and financial inclusion • Funding for FEANTSA secured?! • Give all necessary technical support and guidance to Member States to implement the amendments to the ERDF regulation adopted in May 2010 to support housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities, and promote the implementation of the new regulation with dedicated seminars. • Access to Structural Funds ?! • Develop cross-sectoral approaches that articulate actions in several related policy fields such as employment, education, health, youth, housing, migration and social protection that have the potential to lead to social innovation. • Promotion of Housing-led approaches for homelessness?!

7. EPAP – some reactions of EU bodies • SPC • « The SPC will continue work on homelessness and housing exclusion, also taking into account the outcome of the European Consensus conference on homelessness • EC • Limited strategic progress on implementation • No progress (yet) towards EU strategy/action plan on homelessness • Ad hoc events • Structural Funds & Innovation • Leader – DG EMPL

8. Lobbying goes on … • EU STRATEGY ON HOMELESSNESS • Basis • EPAP • CC • EC • Meeting Commissioner Laszlo Andor - VDB/FEANTSA 24th of June • MS • French Minister of Housing • PermReps • Common meeting to present CC recommendations (under preparation) • More • Ministries Forum?! • Individual Ministries • EP • Oral question with debate & resolution (under preparation) • EU Presidency • Poland?! • Annual Convention Social Inclusion… • Denmark • Demand for EU homelessness strategy?!

9. Homeless strategy – who? • Governance • High-Level SteeringGroup • CC recommendation • Membership?! • Role of Ministries Forum • Develop structures for delivery of results • Research • European Observatory on Homelessness • Local authorities • Habitact • National and/or Regional Ministries • Ministries Forum • Legal experts • Housing Rights Watch • Thematic networks • Housing, Health, Employment • Homeless persons • HOPE • …

10. Homeless strategy – What? • Focus • (1) Monitoring progress of MS • Role of Ministries Forum (& FEANTSA)… • Link with SPC • Annual progress report?! • Cooperation with OECD • (2) Research • OBS • Gaps in knowlegde • CC • Data collection • Migration • Others … • (3) Innovation • Housing First • Innovation Union Flagship & Social experimentation • Social experimentation project • Access to Structural Funds?!

11. Homeless strategy --- What? (2) • Focus (cont) • 4) Service provision - Quality of services • EU quality framework for homeless services • EU-funded quality project ?! • Staff training • Cedefop • Access Structural Funds ... • (5) Transnational exchanges & mutual learning • Own agenda • Priorities of Ministries • EC agenda • Break into other DG’s • Health, Migration, Urban development …

12. Thankyou for listening