The President of the EU Committee of the Regions, Michel Delbarre, spoke at the event on the issue of homelessness. Tools to develop strategies to tackle homelessness were discussed, as well as the following themes:
decentralisation
right to housing
neighbourhood policy
prevention
On 31 May the European local authorities forum on homelessness held, and explored future opportunities of transnational cooperation.
The seminar offered an opportunity to meet with homeless service providers, local and regional authorities, and researchers on homelessness from across Europe.
Seminar conclusions
The 8th of June FEANTSA has published on it website the key messages about the seminar:
Institutional context
Despite the fact that local authorities are willing to take up responsibilities in the area of homelessness, the effectiveness of their responses to the problem is dependent on the political and budgetary context they work in.
Legal context
Local authorities can only approach to homelessness through making the right to housing more justiciable, if the state also takes up its responsibilities as guarantor of the right to housing.
Prevention
Local authorities are able to develop targeted prevention which addresses the personal and institutional causes of homelessness, and in that context the expertise of NGOs is useful.
Neighbourhood policy
The problem of Nimbyism should not be used as an excuse to avoid developing appropriate services for homeless people and solutions could be found.
Importance of local level action
Ad the local perspective is key in the fight against homelessness, local actors should be given the adequate means and resources to take up their political responsibilities in this area.
Europe
An European Union’s definition of homelessness is needed, as well as information on what works in terms of homelessness practices and strategies. Transnational exchanges are key to improving the fight against homelessness in Europe.
Deadline for registration was 10 April. For more information about the event please contact liz.gosme@feantsa.org.
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