European Cities Combatting Poverty
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Transcript European Cities Combatting Poverty
Combating Poverty and Social
Exclusion
Homelessness A Targeted Approach
Olmedo, Sardinia, 9th March 2011
Damien O’Mahony
Cork City Council
Low educational attainment
Lone parents
Unemployment
Family Breakdown
Loss of partner/spouse/parent/s
Addictions
Disability – physical and mental
Access to education compromised
Access to employment comprimised
Social Housing – pool of disadvantage concentrations may cause difficulties
Poor health – mortality rate higher for
cancer, heart disease, mental illness
Less participation through marginalisation –
voting; volunteering; church attendance
(indication of diminished social capital)
Paths to Homelessness
Poverty and lack of housing options
Mental ill health
Addiction
Weak family supports
Experience of institutional care,
Eviction
Relationship breakdown
But protective factors must be mentioned i.e.
significant positive relationship; engagement in
work or training, even where the underlying
causes and risk factors are present
Homeless community not homogenous but common
characteristics exist
High levels of mental ill health,
Psychological, behavioural and personality disorders
Intellectual and learning difficulties and addiction
problems.
Across the developed world, the majority of homeless
people are single men.
Homelessness is not a random process and as such
allows for the development of targeted interventions
to address homelessness and to prevent it from
occurring in the first place.
The Celtic Tiger
Reduced poverty but unemployment now up
to 13.7% (almost 20% in 1980s)
Relative poverty (on or below 60% of
national income EU definition)
Consistent poverty (with added indicators of
disadvantage – e.g. lone parent;
unemployed; disabled)–
11% (inc. working poor)
Breakout Sessions
Systems - Latvia
Value for Money - Greece
Integration - Romania
Prevention - Spain
Methodology
Record findings
Nominate spokesperson
General application
Not confined by individual funding
constraints
Homeless Action Planning in
Cork
Homeless Forum established 1991
Plans founded on detailed consultation
process with stakeholders – local
government; health services; police;
voluntary agencies
Achievements to date
Elimination of need to sleep rough
Accommodation standards raised
Provision of transitional housing
Multi-disiplinary Teams established
Gateway Project (wet shelter)
Cork Foyer
Achievements to date, contd.
Strong working partnerships between the
key local stakeholders
The development of discharge protocols for
those at risk of homelessness leaving
psychiatric or acute hospitals.
Critical local interventions stimulated via
local homeless action plans.
The Way Home 2008-2013
Strategic Aims
Preventing Homelessness
Eliminate Need to Sleep Rough
Eliminate Long Term Homelessness
Meet Long Term Housing Needs
Ensure Effective Services for Homeless
People
Better Coordinated Funding arrangements
A New Focus – More Detail
The development of longer term accommodation options
through the provision of additional social housing, greater
use of the private sector and the development of long term
supported accommodation with on site specialist care.
The improvement of the coordination of funding between
the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local
Government and the Department of Health so that capital
and revenue funding works in tandem, with the
development of more formal funding mechanisms, more
transparent selection of projects and improved monitoring
across the country.
A New Focus – More Detail
The development of a case management approach to
addressing the needs of homeless people, based on
key workers linking to core services and specialist
health services which can be accessed, depending on
individual needs.
The development of preventative strategies focused on
at risk groups in addition to individuals leaving prison,
acute hospitals and psychiatric hospitals.
Eliminate Long Term
Homelessness
By end 2011 no one should be in emergency
accommodation longer than six months.
Achieved by the adequate supply of long term
housing in each local area to address current and
projected needs
Adequate community support services for
households vulnerable to homelessness
Accessible mental health and addiction services
Effective interventions by homeless services.
Meeting long term housing needs
Adequate supply of housing, esp. for single persons
Greater utilisation of existing housing stock and the
provision of additional units by local authorities
Greater use of the private and voluntary and cooperative housing sectors.
Settlement services and tenancy sustainment for
formerly homeless people necessary in some cases.
Ensure effective services for homeless
people
Services well organised, co-ordinated and
integrated
focused on moving them out of homelessness
as quickly as possible, into long term
sustainable housing.
a national quality standards framework for
homeless services, including arrangements for
monitoring compliance.
Ensure effective services for
homeless people
Services include:
street outreach
temporary accommodation
Settlement
post settlement
tenancy sustainment and advice
information and day centres
specialised homeless services.
Health services
Vital component of services for homeless people.
roll-out of primary care teams and primary and
social care networks.
Homeless people will access primary care through
these new teams and networks
not intended that a separate and parallel health
system will exist for homeless people.
Prevention Strategies
Adult Offenders
Young Offenders
Mental Health Residential Facilities
Acute Hospitals
Young Persons Leaving Care
Education and Homeless Persons
Monitoring
Prevention Strategies
Intervention by wider social welfare agencies
including the establishment of indicators that act
as an early warning system and ensure that
supports are offered while the potentially
homeless individual remains in the family home.
New immigrants
Victims of Domestic Violence
Managing Change
Practices long established with wide public
support
Paradigm shift required in approach
Significant change to structures on the part of
service providers both financial and human
resource
Change from reactive to proactive attitude on the
part of commissioning agents (i.e. state bodies
who fund the service)
Inclusion and consultation
Thank You