PREVENTING/ TACKLING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF LJUBLJANA EUROCITIES Social Affairs Forum Lisbon, 3 - 4 April 2017 Workshop „Urban Partnership on Urban Poverty: Area-based approaches“ City of Ljubljana City Administration Health and Social Care Department Alenka Žagar

The City of Ljubljana the capital and the biggest city of Slovenia European Green Capital 2016 title Mayor, a City council (45 members), a Supervisory committee 17 municipal districts City Administration and over of 100 local public institutes and public companies: together more than 12.000 employees (photo: T. Jeseničnik, source: www.ljubljana.si)

Broader context and situation at preventing/ tackling homelessness in the city   Population: 288.000+ inhabitants and 117.000 daily working migrants (SORS) Registered unemployment rate: 11,4 % (ESS) Usage of broader definition of Homelessness: without or with unstable accommodation Strong “social state” concept No specific areas with extreme poverty/ homelessness in the city People from other regions coming into the city seeking anonymity, possibilities, help Disturbing forms of street homelessness in the city centre Integrated approach with significant pressure on public spending/ city’s budget (photo: Miha Fras)

Integrated approach for preventing/ tackling homelessness within City of Ljubljana authorities 1. Employments/ work for the most de-privileged co-financing public work programmes in partnership with the Employment Service of Slovenia: in 2016 with city funds 60 people were employed + 170 assignments of public interest were issued, which made employments in public work programmes possible supporting initiatives for work within programmes for the homeless: street newspaper „Kings of the Street“

2. Social care services/ programmes carrying out/ subsidising public social services: family assistance at home service, (co)payments of care costs in homes for the elderly, refunds of the wages for family assistants city financial assistance co-financing various social programmes (photos: Miha Fras)

3. Housing provided by the City of Ljubljana Public Housing Fund (PHF) PHF‘s total rental stock: 4.123 accommodation units non-for-profit accommodation units in rental through tenders: 3.327 units (the needs are much bigger than capacities – only 10% succeed on tenders) occupied urgent residential units: 326 units housing for special purposes: 38 units and 4 residential buildings rented out by 16 organisations offering help anti-eviction activity in co-operation with The NGO Kings of the Street Society (photo: PHF archive) (photo: Nik Rovan)

Most needed to improve or to address people’s needs more sufficiently? More non-for-profit accommodation units in the city Situation: 4.000 additional non-for-profit accommodation units are needed in the city Main obstacles: lack of stable funding for housing and no possibility of debt financing (strict national legal restrictions) Proposal: non-refundable European funds - raise the minimum proportion of ERDF funds in the next financial mechanism for the sustainable urban development in cities

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