A Pan-European Problem  

Homeless people are more often men than women. 

Homeless people are not always seen. 

Homeless people are seen everywhere. 

Homeless people are drunks and thieves.

Homeless people cannot survive without help.

There are many views and positions towards homeless people and homelessness – some more accurate and true than others, but the most important fact is that this is people, who are living in great distress and unhappiness. People become homeless for many reasons. It is often said that homelessness could happen to any of us, it is just a matter of misfortune, and in some way that is true – but the risk of becoming homeless is not equal for everybody.

In many cases homelessness is a result of a socially challenged environment, an addiction or maybe the lack of a personal network or of an education. But also mental illnesses influence people in many ways, and people with numerous health and social problems are at a larger risk of becoming homeless. 

The unreasonable homelessness

There are actually no statistics regarding homelessness at European level. All data in relation to homeless people and homelessness is collected at national level, and because of this the definitions and methods in collecting data vary from country to country.

Because there is no actual statistics about homelessness in Europe, it is also difficult to pin point who the homeless people in Europe are from a general point of view. But it is a fact that people experiencing homelessness are diverse and the profile on homeless people is always changing. 

There are many paths into homelessness. Personal problems, such as a relationship break down, illnesses, addictions, evictions or experiences of violence can result in homelessness. But also external factors such as poverty, poor access to decent and affordable housing, unemployment and discrimination and stigmatisation can cause people to fall of track and become homeless. 

Some people are only homeless for a while after being released from for instance prisons or medical institutions, or some people are trapped because of malfunctioned social system and the lack of help and benefits and service concerning for instance health problems. 

If you are interested in knowing more about data on homelessness, you can visit FEANTSA’s website www.feantsa.org 

Read more:

What does it mean to be homeless..

The official definition..