Researching with NGOs

Although not all researchers in the CUHP network research directly on behalf of NGOs, all work closely with NGOs in their country.

One of the objectives of CUHP is to involve NGOs in the discussion of research approaches and questions that the research community should be addressing in relation to homelessness. On the second day of each workshop NGOs of the host country are invited to the meeting to discuss the methods that are under investigation at that workshop, their own work with homeless people and to present the research agendas that flow from their work.

At the first workshop this led to a fruitful meeting between French NGOs and the seven research teams. The research agendas presented by the French NGOs included the following questions:

1. Characteristics of different categories of homeless persons, or sub-populations of the homeless population: a) young people, b) immigrants, c) ex-prisoners.

2. The impact of social policies on homeless populations.

3. How to evaluate the work of social workers and of voluntary workers.

4. How to access the supply and demand for housing, other types of residency, and services.

5. The relationship between homelessness and mental health.

6. The right to Housing.

7. Giving a voice to people who are homeless.

8. Longitudinal research – follow-up studies of homeless people.

Additionally

9. To specify the problems of the homeless person of the street, what is the importance of economic causes of homelessness compared with ‘associative’ (social network) causes? If supply and demand of housing were equal would there still be homeless people? Why did people become homeless in the first place?

10. What are the insights that homelessness gives to the society about itself.

Further questions from the representative from the Paris Observatory on Poverty:

11. We need knowledge about people who are neither in the general population or in the homeless population i.e. the ‘hidden homeless’.

12. On supply and demand FNARS used to have an annual survey that asked service providers whether there was enough supply or not. This survey has stopped but don’t we need something like it.

- Presentations by three French associations/ organizations

- FNARS Presentation

- CASVP Presentation

- Secours Catholique Presentation

In response to the questions raised by the French NGOs, members of the CUHP research teams described research they had undertaken in their country and the results of that research. This addressed some of the questions above.

- Presentations of existing collaborations between associations/organizations and researchers at both national and European levels

- Organisms involved in the homeless sector of research in France, Maryse Marpsat (INED)

Use the Contact Us facility to send us information on your research agenda if you are an NGO or your research with your national or local NGO.

Following the first workshop meeting in Paris there was a discussion on how to guide following workshops interactions with policy makers and NGOs on Day Two. It was agreed that there were three purposes to the Day Two meetings:
1. To understand the issues facing policy makers and NGOs dealing with homelessness.
2. To understand their perspectives on homelessness (definitions of homelessness/ housing need) and relate this to different European welfare regimes.
3. To understand the research agendas and type of research undertaken in different national and regional contexts.

2nd Workshop Madrid: Spanish Authorities and NGOs

On the second day of the Madrid Workshop representatives of the Ministry, the City Government of Madrid and the Regional Government for Madrid described their new initiatives in the field of homelessness. Pedro Cabrera and representatives of NGOs spoke about the Spanish NGOs’ situation, especially the Madrid situation, and their experiences and activities with homeless people.
The most important issues were:
A need for a national survey for gaining a better knowledge about the characteristics, situation, needs and changing profiles of homeless people in Spain.
Services for homeless people are not sufficiently developed in Spain either in number or diversity. Services mostly provide accommodation and it is necessary to develop or increase provision of other kinds of innovative activities, to address changing homeless needs, and to provide other services such as outreach, alcohol and drug programmes, helping homeless people access general welfare services.
Service quality must be improved.
The lack of a network makes the collaboration between organizations in daily work very difficult. Also it adds to the difficulty of conducting a national survey for improving the knowledge about homelessness in Spain.
Several NGOs and government members in Spain said they had to raise the level of awareness of the media and of the public on the homeless issue.

- Summary of the reports of and discussion with Spanish Authorities, Madrid Municipality and NGOs

3rd Workshop, Copenhagen

On the second day discussions with Danish NGOs and public authorities (Municipality, Ministry of Social Affairs) described the situation in Denmark and Copenhagen. The Ministry of Social Affairs estimates that 11,000 people are affected by homelessness over a year. Denmark is a localized society with 13 regional and 271 local authorities. The Ministry of Social Affairs provides the framework for homeless policies, the local and regional authorities fill it in. Local and regional levels are responsible for the services and cash assistance. There is regional responsibility for reception centers, shelters, boarding houses, but they may leave the running to voluntary organization (50% of cases).
About half of the Denmark shelters are in Copenhagen, with 600 beds. There are also Night Cafes (emergency shelters). The state of the housing market is not the same in all the regions so there is more homelessness in Copenhagen where housing is expensive.
Some agencies reported that homelessness is less a problem of poverty in Denmark and more a problem of marginalization (drugs, mental illness, accumulation of various mental and social problem). But there are also migrants from other countries and from other regions. The law distinguishes between “ordinary people without homes”, for which the Municipality is responsible, and “homeless people with heavier social or mental and/or abuse problems” for which the State pays half the price of the shelters.
The discussion alluded to the growing restrictions in housing and its link to homelessness. It also concerned the distinction between “normal homeless” (without housing, a housing issue) and the “homeless homeless” (chronic homelessness or homeless accumulating other heath or social problems), which seemed to some of the researchers to be close to constructing a deserving/undeserving poor distinction.
The discussion broached upon chronic homelessness and its relation to the housing market, the increase in drug use and in migration.
The existence of “night cafes” (overnight shelters without comfort, usually without beds) which are not included in the administrative files used in the studies presented by the Danish team seem to point to the existence of a category of homeless people not covered by existing data.

- Summary of the discussion with the Copenhagen Municipality and NGOs

4th Workshop London

Presentations were made by the municipal authorities (Greater London Authority and London Borough of Tower Hamlets) and NGOs on the issue of housing and supporting homeless people in the UK. The presentations were grouped in three main topics. 1. Issues in relation to single homeless populations and the working of government rough sleepers’ strategies. 2. Homelessness legislation and the work of local authorities in London. 3. Housing and supporting homeless people from specific populations of women, families, young people, refugees.
Various issues were raised by the NGOs about the consequences of several parts of the UK legislation: people not considered as in “priority need” by the homeless legislation; recent developments of the Rough Sleepers Initiative; the consequences of the 2002 Nationality and Asylum Act on refugees. Recent changes in UK homelessness legislation in 2002 in relation to youth were discussed.
In the case of London, the state of the housing market makes it difficult even for “key workers” (nurses, policemen, etc.) to find a dwelling inside the city. For homeless families, re-housing by the authorities takes a long time and they have to stay several years in temporary accommodation.
Other major issues of interest to the NGOs were prevention and appropriate responses to needs other than housing among homeless people: physical and mental health, social networks, developing skills and self-esteem.
Different NGO speakers discussed the increasing probability of homelessness among ex-servicemen, women surviving domestic violence, young people.
The NGOs stressed their interest in research and reported that many have research/policy departments that conduct or commission research. The most important research questions currently in the UK centred on:
a) the need to evaluate policies through undertaking longitudinal research;
b) estimates of the costs of homelessness both to the person and to society;
c) more information about the structural aspects of homelessness.
d) the promotion of peer research (research conducted by people who have themselves experienced the situation).

- Summary of the reports from and discussion with London Municipal authorities and NGOs

5th Workshop Milan

The discussion with Italian NGOs and FIOpsd raised several important points:
1. A debate about the definition of homelessness as ‘no fixed abode’ or ‘severe adult hardship’ (Albergo Popolare). 2. Different methods of working with homeless people including self-organisation. 3. Importance of understanding the different welfare regimes affecting homeless women and providing appropriate services. 4. Similarities between homeless internal migrants from South Italy and migrants from other parts of Europe. 5. Changes in society affecting homelessness including a growth of individualism leading to youth homelessness. The Italian welfare system was still a family welfare model and it had not yet adjusted to this change.
Research had been undertaken into the hopes and projects of homeless people themselves but there was a need for more research to give social workers a better understanding of the homeless population, longitudinal and qualitative research to provide an understanding of what happens before people become homeless, and what is the right intervention in this pathway. There was a need for different categories to understand the profile and pathways of homeless people: why do some of the socially marginalised (poor, unemployed) become homeless and not others? These were all important questions for services.

- Summary of the reports from and discussion with NGOs from the North Italian region

Brussels Conference

One of the conclusions of having met with NGOs across different national societies is the is firstly, the diversity of the organization of NGOs across countries and secondly, their different relationships to research. This is part of the variety of national contexts that should be studied at length. To aid the beginning of this discussion Joan Smith, UK, presented a paper at the Brussels conference drawing together the important themes across the five meetings with NGOs during the life of the thematic network.

- NGOs’ Perspectives, Ways of Working and the European Social Model