PARIS WORKSHOP: Methods and national contexts

The first workshop of the CUHP thematic network was held in Paris at INED on the 6th and 7th of March. It was attended on the first day by an expanded INED team and a researcher from INSEE and partner teams, and on the second day by INED researchers (including field researchers), partner teams and teams from French NGOs working in the field of homelessness who presented their work.
Please click here for a full summary of the first workshop

Summary

- Workshop 1. Paris - Summary

Definition and Methods
The main work of the first day was to consider the initial paper by Maryse Marpsat, INED on: Provisional assessment of the definition and the methods used in different countries in the field of research on the homeless’.
There were two parts to this paper

a) Discussion on definitions

- A paper on the definition of homelessness used in France by Maryse Marpsat, INED, Fr.

b) Discussion on how the network should map methodologies

- A proposal for the classification of methodological approaches to the study of homelessness by Maryse Marpsat, INED, Fr.

Discussion by partners
The main focus of the discussion on this paper was on how homelessness should be defined, and who should be included in surveys of homeless populations. There was a distinct difference between the perspective of the Italian and Spanish partners who emphasized the necessity to include psycho-social aspects of the person within the homeless definition, compared with the French emphasis on housing situation. By and large the Northern European and Eastern European teams emphasized housing definitions of homelessness.

Some countries have a restrictive definition of homelessness and others a more expansive definition. Very few have precise definitions.

Each partner presented the definition of homelessness used in their country

- The housing situation definition of homelessness used in FRANCE

- Legislative, NGO and administrative definitions of homelessness used in the UK

- The definition of homelessness used in SPAIN

- The definition of homelessness used in DENMARK

- The common definitions of homelessness used in the NETHERLANDS

- The definition of homelessness used in ITALY

- The changed definition of homelessness used in HUNGARY

Discussion with the French NGOs
The main work of the second day was to understand the research agendas of the French NGOs who were present and for the researchers to respond with summaries of research they had undertaken that might address those needs. Please click on the summary at the top of this page to view the list of research areas and the list of French NGOs present on the second day.