European & International News

Massive increase in homelessness in Europe especially among women, children and women/men from a migrant background

[Brussels, 26 March 2018] The 2018 Third Overview report on Housing Exclusion in Europe, produced by FEANTSA (the European Network on Homelessness) and the Abbé Pierre Foundation, France, reveals that homelessness in Europe has increased by 150% in Germany, 145% in Ireland and almost 100% in Belgium.

Women, children and women/men from a migrant background are particularly more vulnerable to housing exclusion and homelessness. While the majority of homeless are men, the proportion of women is increasing, notably in Sweden. As low income/poorer households are increasingly facing homelessness, we can expect that there is also a higher proportion of women in this category. Homelessness kills: an estimated 14.000 deaths occurred in France between 2012-2016 due to living on the streets.

The report rejects the myth that ending homelessness is a fantasy and outlies five steps in developing an integrated strategy for reducing and eradicating homelessness, including Housing First, a model that has spread throughout Europe. In Finland, where this model has been firmly established, as part of a holistic integrated strategy, homelessness has decreased between 2009-2016.

The report calls to eradicate homelessness in Europe by 2030.

The Other Europe, homelessness on the increase

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