International Learning from Local-Level Policy Making? Responding to ‘New Homelessness’ in Post-Crisis Athens

9th European Research Conference

Homelessness in Times of Crisis

Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014

International learning from local

policy making? Responding to

homelessness in post-crisis Athens

Isobel Anderson

University of Stirling

UK




Outline of presentation Aim: International learning from local policy making? • Case of Athens city, Greece • Process of peer review Structure: • The EU and homelessness policy • Greece – the economic crisis and the impact on

homelessness • Athens – policy and practice responses • Comparisons with international research evidence • The peer review process • Conclusions




Research Method: Peer Review on

Homelessness Policies in Athens

Co-production Partners

• HABITACT – European Exchange Forum on local homelessness

strategies

• City of Athens and partners

• European Federation of National Homelessness Agencies

(FEANTSA)

Role/method December 2013 – March 2014: Prepare discussion paper on

homelessness policy making and service provision in Athens

10-11 April 2014 Peer review meeting in Athens: Amsterdam (NL),

Bergamo (IT), Charleroi (BE), Copenhagen (DK), Esch-sur-Alzette

(LU), Gothenburg (SE) Odense (DK), Offenbach (DE) Toulouse

(FR), Vienna (AT).

May 2014 Peer review meeting report

May 2014




The EU and homelessness

• Increasing recognition – towards an EU homelessness strategy • Linked to targets to reduce poverty

New funding opportunities? • European Social Fund • European Regional Development Fund • Fund for European Aid for the most Deprived (FEAD) • EU programme for Employment and Social Innovation EaSI

Monitoring homelessness – national social reports

Informal co-operation




EUROZONE COMPARATIVE POVERTY RATES, 2010 (% of population)

Source: ELSTAT, 2013

IRELAND 29.9

GREECE 27.7

SPAIN 25.5

PORTUGAL 25.3

ITALY 24.5

CYPRUS 23.6

ESTONIA 21.7

BELGIUM 20.8

MALTA 20.6

SLOVAKIA 20.6

GERMANY 19.7

FRANCE 19.3

SLOVENIA 18.3

LUXEMBOURG 17.1

FINLAND 16.9

AUSTRIA 16.6

NETHERLANDS 15.1




Greece Economic Crisis and Responding to Homelessness

Greece Population at 2011 = 10.8m

Housing Tenure (CECOHDAS Housing Europe Review 2012)

• 74% owner occupied

• 20% private rent

• 0% social rent

• 6% other

EU Troika programme (European Commission; European

Central Bank; IMF) - Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Cyprus

• Falling incomes/expenditure, significant income inequality

• 33% overburdened by housing costs (90% of poor); Half of poor

struggled to afford food

‘socio economically crushed middle class’ (Athens Mayor)




Greece: Homelessness

Relatively recent recognition; societal change • Lack of accurate data (2009: 7000-21000?) • Increased by 25% as a result of crisis Changing profile: Complex needs; ‘New homeless’ – not able to meet housing costs; Migrants particularly vulnerable State response inadequate? • Legal definition of homelessness • National action plan - not implemented Austerity measures impacted on service capacity




Athens City

Homelessness Policy and Service Provision

POLICY ARENA

Athens Model: KEY PLAYERS; INFLUENCES

European Union European Commission and Parliament • Troika financial assistance and associated structural

programmes • Social policies and associated funding programmes

National Greek National Government • National economic and policy context Greek Housing Network

CITY OF ATHENS High level of homelessness Athens Municipality structures • Political leadership from Mayor (Re-elected May 2014) • KYADA - Solidarity and Reception Centre (policy and

services) • ADDMA – Development Agency (funding advice)

NGOs – operate in city and beyond Corporate Institutions, Foundations Church, Faith based organisations Civil Society

Service Type (Busch-Geertsema et al , 2010)

Athens Model

Prevention – risk of homelessness

Social grocery & pharmacy; family homelessness prevention (supporting parents back to work)

Prevention – no immediate risk of homelessness (new)

Solidarity to families (material goods and practical services); Citizen solidarity hub (connecting donors and beneficiaries)

Emergency accommodation (roofless)

Shelters

Temporary Accommodation – houseless

Hospitality programme; accommodation for women victims of domestic violence

Non-residential services – homeless

Soup kitchen; streetwork; day centre; social pharmacy; emergency health

Other accommodation Substance misuse needs

Mainstream services used by homeless people

Health; employability; volunteering; solidarity

Specialist services used by homeless people

Mental health; substance use; asylum services; ex-offender services

Athens City: Peer Review of homelessness




ATHENS: Comparisons with international research evidence (2010 review)

• Recognises homelessness as a poverty issue • Collaborative Governance/Joint working

• Municipality leads policy development and service provision, supported by NGOs (some tensions)

• Involvement of corporate and community sectors • National-level ‘steering’ less evident

• Integrated service provision • Social integration, health, employability • Early intervention/prevention • Settled housing dimension – less evident




Comparisons (2) Affordable Housing Solutions? ‘Housing First’/housing-led initiatives? Athens more focused on broader re-integration

(work/income) Pathways out of homelessness? High home ownership;

accessing private rental; evolving social rental

Homelessness prevention - Athens focus on early intervention with those affected by economic restructuring Service user involvement - Athens goal of empowerment; fewer mechanisms for involvement




Comparisons (3) Evaluating outcomes • Emerging data collection and analysis • KYADA research brief and initial data collection

• Further develop monitoring • Models, practice guidance

• Attention to service quality

Resource mobilisation • Mechanism to optimise use of EU funds • Public support, solidarity • Developing role of foundations and corporate support




Peer Review Meeting • Presentations from Athens partners and guests; Visits to

services; Co-presentations with peer participants

• Unprecedented economic crisis – new dimensions to

homelessness from EU perspective

• Strong drive to tackle homelessness – clearer policy framework

and goals

• Models exist to enhance stakeholder co-operation

• Economic situation impact on public/third sector workers -

issues of capacity to empower homeless people

• Housing solutions need to move from emergency/temporary to

sustainable long term; Housing First could be a solution for

acute homelessness, complex needs group




Final reflections

• Unequal EU - Solidarity vs Peer expectations; Two- way learning

• Benefits of service visits and open discussion • Implementation of policy learning? Follow up? • Review of 5 years of HABITACT peer review seminars Post-2008 Crisis: Challenges across Europe, threatening achievements to date Athens – creativity and innovation in most adverse circumstances




Inequality persists……..




Key References

Anderson, I. (2010) Services for homeless people: supporting pathways out of

homelessness, pp41-63, in O’Sullivan, E., Busch-Geertsema, V., Quilgars, D. and Pleace, N., Homelessness Research in Europe. Brussels: FEANTSA.

Busch-Geertsema, V., Edgar, W., O’Sullivan, E. and Pleace, N. (2010) Homelessness and homeless policies in Europe: lessons from research. Report for European Consensus Conference on Homelessness. Brussels: FEANTSA.

ELSTAT (2013a, b, c) Hellenic Republic Statistical Authority. Demographic and social characteristics of the resident population of Greece according to the 2011 Population – Housing Census; Budget Survey 2012; Statistics on income and living conditions 2012. Athens: ELSTAT

Municipality of Athens (2013, 2014) Information on Athens homelessness policy and service provision provided directly by Athens City.

Stamatis, G. (2012) Homelessness in Greece in the current financial crisis. What perspective? [Paper provided directly by HABITACT/City of Athens]

Theodorikakou, O., Alamou, A. and Katsadoros, K. (2013) ‘Neo-homelessness’ and the Greek Crisis, European Journal of Homelessness, 7(2), pp203-210.

Government & Nonprofit

International Learning from Local-Level Policy Making? Responding to ‘New Homelessness’ in Post-Crisis Athens