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The poor often pay more 4 September 2014. Henk Van Hootegem , Steunpunt tot bestrijding van armoede, bestaansonzekerheid en sociale uitsluiting Combat Poverty , Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service www.armoedebestrijding.be www.combatpoverty.be
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The pooroftenpay more4 September 2014 Henk Van Hootegem, Steunpunt tot bestrijding van armoede, bestaansonzekerheid en sociale uitsluiting Combat Poverty, InsecurityandSocialExclusion Service www.armoedebestrijding.be www.combatpoverty.be henk.vanhootegem@cntr.be– 0032 2 212.31.71
Plan • Short presentationof the Combat Poverty Service • Some characteristics of poverty • The poor often pay more… • Technology in the fight against poverty? • But… act carefully • Some key messages www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
1. Short presentationof the Combat Poverty Service • interfederal public institution, withitslegalbase in a collaboration agreement between the federal State, the Regions and the Communities, approved by the Parliaments (1999) • the Service organises dialogues with the participation of differentactors, with a special attention on people living in poverty and theirorganisations (co-creation !); itevaluates the respect for the fundamentalrights • the results of thesethematical exchanges/dialogues (recommandations) are published in the bi-annual reports of the Service, adressed to the differentgovernments, parliaments and theiradvisory structures www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
knowledgeabout poverty is based on • documents from the differentactorsin the field, scientists, administrations • the dialogue withtheseactors • research • website: • publicationsof the Service • otherreportsaboutpoverty • jurisprudence • factsandfigures, in the form of questionsandanswers www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
2. Some characteristics of poverty • multi-dimensional: notonlyincome but alsowork, housing, culture, mobility, … • diversity of situations • youngpeople (andolder persons) • single persons (and families) • rural (andurban) • ‘new poor’ (andgenerationalpoverty) • … www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
Source: Samarcandeassociation, Inter-Environnement Bruxelles, SOS Jeunes-Quartier libre asbl (2008) Jeunes en ville, Bruxelles à dos ? L’appropriation de l’espace urbain bruxellois par des jeunes de différents quartiers, Inter-Environnement Bruxelles, Bruxelles, p.54 www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
Source: Samarcandeassociation, Inter-Environnement Bruxelles, SOS Jeunes-Quartier libre asbl (2008) Jeunes en ville, Bruxelles à dos ? L’appropriation de l’espace urbain bruxellois par des jeunes de différents quartiers, Inter-Environnement Bruxelles, Bruxelles, p.54 www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
Intersections of Europe 2020 Poverty Target Indicators, SILC 2012, Eurostat. www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
3. The poor often pay more • People in povertyspend a greater part of theirincomefor basic needs • housing! • consumption • Whenyourent a house, there are lessinvestments in installations for savingenergy and water. Whenyou have a lower budget, youcan’taffordsomesavingenergydevices (refrigerator, …) www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
Housingcostoverburdenrate, byincomequintileandbypoverty status: This indicator is defined as the percentage of the population living in a household where the total housing costs (net of housing allowances) represent more than 40% of the total disposable household income (net of housing allowances), presented by income quintile and by poverty status. Source of Data: Eurostat, SILC www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
People in povertysometimes put off doctor visitsforlack of money, leadingtoworse health (and more spending in the long term) • Living in bad housingsituations leads tohealth problems • If youcan’tafford a monthy plan for your mobile, …: youpayhigher rates withprepaidcards • Discounts forgoods in a largeramount • ‘Matthew effect’, e.g. tax deductions www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
4. Technology in the fight against poverty? • Someinitiatives of socialinnovation: maybe we canuse the words ‘socialengineering’ ? • Community Land Trust (Brussels, Ghent, …) • ‘savinggroups’ (save money in groupsoone family canpay the advance whentheybuy a house and take a mortgage) • workingwith food surplusses • sharingthings, … • cooperations • Technology as an instrument in: • saving money (information about prices, …) • sharing (in mobility, in material, …) • giving information (on the moment that people need information) • take-up of rights (e.g. Cultuurpas, third-party payer system) www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
5. But… act carefully • Dangers are: • risk of more control • perverse effects (e.g. smart energy grids: more diversityandcomplexity of tariffplans of energy) • stigmatisation • Digital divide Silc 2012: enforcedlack of a computer underpoverty line = 9,8 % above the poverty line = 1,5 % www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
6. Some key messages • worktogetherwith people in poverty and their organisations, listen, and exchange • alsoinvolvesocialworkersandother professionals • beattentively to perverse effects of initiatives • beattentively to stigmatisation effects • don’tforgetthatweneed structural change: more quality jobs, more equilaty in education, more affordable and qualitative houses, … • but… there are manyopportunities, in co-creation! www.armoedebestrijding.be - www.combatpoverty.be
Thankyou! henk.vanhootegem@cntr.be www.armoedebestrijding.be www.combatpoverty.be Tel. 32(0)2 212 31 71