9th European Research Conference

Homelessness in Times of Crisis

Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014

The governance of

homelessness

Gijsbert Vonk

Professor of public law

University of Groningen

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9th European Research Conference

Homelessness in Times of Crisis

Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014

Set up

1) Homelessness and constitution

2) Homelessness and criminal law

3) Homelessness and immigration

4) Human rights responses

Challenges for the EU

Special focus: EU proposals for the future

| Date 28.09.2009

The extent of homelessness: a question of definition

3

Destitution

material deprivation +

Non participation +

Limited control over one’s life

social exclusion

matrial deprivation + non-participation

Poverty (60% of median wage)

Material deprivation

Homelessness Destitute +

Housless or roofless,

Homelessness Insecure housing

Inadequate housing

Houseless

Roofless

findings

• Human righs response

• Immigration

• Criminal law • Constitution

Local dumping

Rise of repressive

welfare

Active judiciary

Exclusion and limbo

• Human rights response

• Immigration

• Criminal law • Constitution

Local dumping

Rise of repressive

welfare

Active judiciary

Exclusion and limbo

9th European Research Conference

Homelessness in Times of Crisis

Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014

Recommendations

EU must underpin homelessness as a

national responsibility

Prison house is no alternative for shelter

From exclusion to integration

Services reflect human rights obligations

9th European Research Conference

Homelessness in Times of Crisis

Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014

Future prospects

Towards a European cost sharing

mechanism to facilitate the integration of

poor EU mobile citizens

Towards an instrument for the protection of

vulnerable people in extreme need,

irrespective of nationality and status