new research out now: Local Connection Rules & Access to Homelessness Services in Eu

The new year starts with a new publication on homelessness.

During last year I had the honor to collaborate to the research of the EOH - Eu Observatory on Homelessness. The research deepens the issue of local connection criteria in the access to the variety of services open to people experiencing homelessness around Eu.

This edition of FEANTSA’s European Observatory on Homelessness Comparative Research Series looks at the impact on homelessness of the requirement that a person who is seeking assistance must have a ‘local connection’ to the area where s/he is seeking help.

In most EU Member States public authorities, in one way or another, oblige people experiencing homelessness to prove they have a connection to the city or municipality in order to access services, regardless to their state of need or the variety of service at stake. Even in countries where there is no formal local connection requirement, there is often ample space for local authorities and/or services to impose such an obligation, unofficially.

This research shows that where ‘local connection’ rules are poorly designed or not properly implemented the first victims are the most vulnerable people, and people who are homeless can find themselves denied essential help.

The research is available in free download here: Local Connection Rules and Access to Homelessness Services in Europe

I want to thank the following colleagues for the time of sharing their experiences on local connection criteria (LCC):

Francesca Simonini (ass. Noi sulla strada) for LCC in Padova & Brescia; Maria Luisa Pontelli (Opera Diocesana Betania) & Luca Vicario (Il Fogolar Caritas) for LCC in Udine; Francesco Pilli (Cosep & Fondazione di Partecipazione) for the LCC in Mestre & Venezia; Massimo De Albertis (Comune di Torino) & Roberto Mosso (Testarda) for LCC in Torino; Giorgio Bonini (Porta Aperta) for LCC in Modena; Emanuela Tacchetto (Gruppo R) for LCC in Padova; Michele Trabucco, Alberto Mortara & my colleagues in FIOpsd.

I also want to share my gratitude to all the colleagues working in SSGIs for homeless people where I collaborate as supervisors for the LCC in Torino, Trento, Bolzano, Rovereto, Padova, Vicenza, Mestre, Venezia; & all the professionals, volunteers & homeless individuals that I met during my group-work sessions in Padova, Vicenza, Milano, Verona, Bologna, Udine, Codroipo, Rovereto, Trento, Genova, La Spezia & Torino.

I apologise if I forgot to mention someone: they know how I consider the share of their experience & truth as precious gifts.