Europe Tackles Homelessness Crisis: Human Rights at the Forefront
Across Europe, a somber reality is unfolding: an estimated 1.3 million people are experiencing homelessness, with the crisis deepening due to a confluence of factors. Rising economic challenges, insufficient housing, social exclusion, migration, and systemic issues are pushing vulnerable populations to the margins.
In a powerful display of solidarity, policy experts, social leaders, financers, and dedicated advocates will convene on December 3rd in Strasbourg, France, for a crucial conference. The "Addressing Homelessness through Social Investment" event, co-organized by the Council of Europe and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), aims to find solutions rooted in human rights to alleviate this pressing problem.
“The Council of Europe’s response to this challenge is necessarily a human rights-based one: people facing homelessness, especially the most vulnerable, have to be helped and not penalized. Be understood and not become victims of indifference or, worse, stereotypes,” Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Gianluca Esposito, stated ahead of the conference.
“The path forward involves urgent, coordinated efforts at both local and global levels to ensure that homelessness is reduced and eventually eliminated, making housing a right accessible to all,” he added.
The CEB Vice-Governor for Target Group Countries, Tomáš Boček, stressed the importance of sustainable solutions, saying, "CEB’s social mandate emphasizes social and affordable housing, including finding permanent housing solutions for the homeless. CEB’s operations have shown that prioritizing sustainable, long-term funding and adopting appropriate financing models is essential for the long-term success of housing-led solutions.”
This timely conference, livestreamed for broader access, offers a platform for analyzing current trends and identifying effective housing strategies and social investments that can make a lasting impact. Local authorities and organizations working directly with the homeless will share practical approaches, including innovative housing-led solutions. These solutions recognize housing as a fundamental right and aim to provide immediate access to stable housing without requiring individuals to meet specific criteria before being offered help.
The conference will spotlight successful experiences in France, Germany, and the Slovak Republic, highlighting grassroots efforts making a real difference.
The CEB, a leading provider of financing and support to housing projects across Europe, recently published a discussion paper exploring financing-led solutions in France and Portugal. The paper aims to raise awareness about how coordinating actors in the sector can facilitate projects through effective financing.
Experts and policymakers, including Aurora Floridia, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Rapporteur on Analysis and guidelines to guarantee the right to housing and to decent housing, Jimmy Moloney, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Rapporteur on Social Housing, and Johannes Böhmer, Vice-Governor for Social Development Strategy (CEB), will discuss the political framework and strategic approach needed to tackle this complex issue.
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The conference underscores that addressing homelessness requires collaborative action rooted in established human rights standards and frameworks. Responses will draw upon the recommendations of the Council of Europe, the European Social Charter, and the European Court of Human Rights, emphasizing the fundamental right to housing and the responsibility of states to prevent and progressively eliminate homelessness.
This event is supported by the European Union under the InvestEU Advisory Hub.
