Research project B2/191/P3/TRAHOME (Research action B2)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Homelessness is an extreme manifestation of poverty and social exclusion. In recent years, there’s a growing concern about increasing numbers of homeless people in European welfare states. Statistics on this specific group are rather scarce: homeless people are rarely or never covered in poverty statistics and European homelessness indicators are lacking. The European Commission encourages member states to introduce efficient policies to prevent evictions and implement comprehensive national strategies that are long-term, housing-led and integrated at national, regional and local level. These strategies cover prevention and early intervention, rapid re-housing, quality homelessness service delivery and systematic data collection based on the ETHOS typology.
Recent available data on homelessness is based on point-in-time counts, in which local actors count sheltered and unsheltered people who are experiencing homelessness on a single night in one specific location. However, there’s a need for a dynamic analysis to study the entries and exits of homeless persons. In this project we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the trajectories of homeless people and non-take-up of social rights. We focus on three main research questions:
1) what are the trajectories of homeless persons over time?,
2) what is the extent of the non-take-up of social assistance benefits amongst homeless persons? and
3) which impact have social workers of different public and non-profit social services on the take-up of social rights of homeless persons?
To address these questions, this project uses a mixed-methods and multi-level approach in which quantitative and qualitative analysis are combined. The longitudinal quantitative analysis focuses on the linkage of administrative databases. The qualitative analysis aims to gain an in-depth understanding of the pathways of homeless people via biographical interviews with homeless people and interviews with social workers who are directly involved in supporting these homeless persons. In addition, we organize focus groups with local and national social policy makers and stakeholders to discuss the main policy and practice recommendations.
This research project has a scientific and policy-oriented goal. This project sheds light on the possibilities of administrative data to map the trajectories of homeless persons. Secondly, we contribute to social policy by gaining insight into hidden homelessness. This specific group is less inclined to take up social assistance, so consequently they usually remain below the radar. This project will map the non-take-up of homeless persons by looking at the pathways into homelessness and the risk factors, triggers, personal, institutional and structural factors that play a role in the entry and exit of homelessness.
This project will be executed by a multidisciplinary research team in which sociological, social policy, pedagogic and social work experience and knowledge will be combined and integrated. The expertise of local stakeholders, social workers and homeless persons is an essential component.
To conclude, this project aims to publish articles in peer-reviewed journals. In addition to scientific output, we provide policy reports that are made accessible for local policy makers and civil organizations.
