1. Family Homelessness in Europe
Nicholas Pleace

2. About the Work
Seventh in a series of annual comparative research reports
Experts from 14 member states
European Observatory on Homelessness supported by FEANTSA
Written with
Isabel Baptista
Lars Benjaminsen
Volker Busch-Geertsema

3. Key Findings Belgium Denmark France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden UK

4. Linked to low income and poverty Shortage of affordable housing
Key Findings
Low or no support needs
Gendered
Lone women with dependent children
Clearly associated with gender- based/domestic violence
Linked to low income and poverty
Shortage of affordable housing

5. Key Findings Two parent family homelessness less common
The gendered nature of the social problem is everywhere
Lone women with dependent children
More extensive welfare systems seems to be linked to less family homelessness
But protections to stop children experiencing destitution exist everywhere
Only Romania reported street homeless children

6. Domestic violence
Reported as a significant cause in all 14 countries
Male violence directed at women
Strong associations reported in all 14 countries

7. Economic marginalisation
Disproportionately experienced by low income and poor households
Younger women with small children who are economically marginalised
Associated with precarious housing positions
Income just covers the rent or mortgage and is lost or reduced

8. Housing Supply
Less affordable housing
Less extensive welfare benefits to assist with housing costs
Heightens risks
Some evidence that systems to prevent child deprivation provide protection

9. Pictures of family homelessness
Most countries described this scenario as ‘typical’ of family homelessness
A single mother, aged 35 with two dependent children, aged 6 and 9. She is long-term unemployed and on social assistance benefits. She has been divorced from the children’s father following domestic violence. She stayed for a while in a women’s shelter and has also been staying temporarily with family and friends.

10. Levels Not high in some countries Much more visible in others
But some family homelessness may not be visible
Women with dependent children falling back on family, friends, not using services, i.e. ‘hidden homelessness’
Domestic violence services working with families recorded as at risk from DV, when they are homeless, but this is not formally recognised
Targeted interventions as in Ireland, England, may make the issue more visible
Presumed not to exist on any scale because welfare and social services systems should prevent it

11. Difficult to be certain May be more widespread than we realise
Levels
Difficult to be certain
May be more widespread than we realise
Gendered responses to homelessness
Evidence from USA
Evidence from England

12. Trends Broad evidence of increases
Sweden (Malmö) 10% families with children in 2009, 16% in 2013, 34%, 2016
Ireland, 265% increase, 344 families in July 2014, 1,256 families in March 2017
England, 59% increase, (homeless families owed the Main Duty under homelessness law)
Paris, helpline 115 reported 300% increase in families between 1999 and 2010
But not everywhere, e.g. Denmark

13. Trends
Broadly reported associations between increases in family homelessness
And declines in affordable housing supply
Or relative increases in demand for affordable housing
And welfare benefits not being enough to cover rent/mortgage costs

14. Differences
In much of Western Europe, lower income families in rental accommodation
In the East, much more likely to be owner occupiers
South and East have less extensive welfare and health systems
With the caveat that systems exist for dependent children, but still big differences
Services have to play different roles
Quite challenging to draw broad comparisons

15. English statutory homelessness
A Cautionary Tale
English statutory homelessness
Cut social housing supply
Deregulate housing markets
Allow rampant house price inflation
Allow private rented sector rent levels to soar
Deregulate labour markets
Make cuts to welfare systems as full time employment declines

16. English experience If housing demand is high enough relative to supply
The private rented sector has multiple markets and will always seek to maximise returns
And owner occupancy becomes unaffordable
Private sector often avoid housing homeless people
So you can’t use much of it for temporary accommodation
Or for prevention or as settled housing
Even if you ban use of hotels for families you end up using them again
Unless affordable housing supply is increased

17. Prevention B&B use increases Expanded use of PRS
B&B use is banned for families beyond 6 weeks
B&B use increases
Expanded use of PRS
Lower end of PRS becomes full
Social housing lost at faster rate than it is replaced
Welfare system does not pay enough to cover PRS rents in high pressure markets
Affordable housing supply constricts for decades
PRS not available at scale
40% of former social homes rented privately

18. Family homelessness has obvious economic drivers
Patterns are evident
Family homelessness has obvious economic drivers
But it is not as simple as economics
Because it is also about gender
Domestic/gender-based violence
And economic opportunities for women

19. Thanks for listening Professor Nicholas Pleace Director
Centre for Housing Policy
University of York
European Observatory on Homelessness
FEANTSA
Women’s Homelessness in Europe Network (WHEN)
Trinity College Dublin