Policies to Address Homelessness: Rights-Based Approaches

Homeless, To be homeless: state of lacking adequate shelter; state of lacking a secure, adequate, affordable private space from which to conduct one's life. Note that definitions vary according to social and cultural context as well as national and international legal frameworks. Homelessness: Recognised social phenomenon of identifiable population lacking adequate housing; field for welfare policy intervention by state and non-state agencies in local, national, and international spheres. Justiciable right to housing: Right to housing which is enshrined in law and legally enforceable through the court system in a nation state by individuals or households lacking adequate accommodation. Social right to housing: Right to housing conveyed through a national constitution, a national welfare system, or an international treaty which acknowledges housing as a fundamental human right for those subject of such a constitution, welfare state, or international treaty, and where states seek to ensure housing as a human right but do not necessarily guarantee an individual right enforceable at law

Peer review on homelessness policies in Athens City (Greece)

This paper reviews homelessness policies and service provision in the city of Athens, Greece, in the context of wider European developments and potential comparisons with other European cities. This is the fifth in a series of peer reviews of city homelessness policies in Europe, mediated through the HABITACT European Exchange Forum on local homelessness strategies. The city of Athens presents a valuable case study of policy responses developed to deal with the impact of severe economic crisis on homelessness. Drawing on an earlier review of homelessness policies and service provision in Europe (Anderson, 2010), the conceptual approach of examining policies which support pathways out of homelessness, and prevent homelessness from occurring, is adopted to structure the analysis. The discussion paper begins by setting the context of responses to homelessness at the European level. It then examines homelessness in relation to the Greek national context, before providing an overview of key elements of homelessness policy and service provision in Athens city with a view to characterising the Athens model. The detailed case study of homelessness policy in Athens is then compared with the wider research evidence base across other European countries in order to identify potential for transferability of elements of the Athens model to other local contexts. The discussion paper concludes by formulating key questions about the Athens model for consideration in the peer review meeting

Delivering the Right to Housing? Why Scotland Still Needs an 'Ending Homelessness' Action Plan

In 2018, the Scottish Government launched the 'Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan', just 6 years after the earlier '2012 target' for implementation of the previous major review of homelessness policy. Scotland had introduced a modernised legislative framework for homeless-ness, with the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act of 2003, strengthening the legal rights of homeless people to assistance with housing. Using a policy analysis framework, this paper revisits the impact of the earlier legislation, identifying perceived gaps in implementation, which framed the context for further review. The paper examines the work programme of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG), which contributed to policy review, and outlines key components of the 2018 action plan. The analysis reflects critically on the potential for meaningful progress on ending homeless-ness over the five years from 2018-2023. Given international interest in prior homelessness policy in Scotland, this research was conducted to inform a European and wider international audience of the further ambitions to end homelessness in Scotland. The study adopted desk-based methods, drawing on published administrative data on homelessness, publicly available policy and practice documents, and the wider research evidence on homelessness. The analysis demonstrates that while the Scottish approach still compares favourably internationally, robust commitment to policy delivery, as well as monitoring of implementation and review of outcomes all remain essential to ensure policy effectiveness

Sustainable solutions to homelessness: the Scottish Case

In the post-1997 period of devolved government to Scotland, both housing and homelessness have been high on the policy agenda. A Homelessness Task Force reviewed longstanding homelessness policy and legislation. The Scottish Executive fully accepted the recommendations of the Task Force and instigated an implementation programme to 2012, by which time there would be a duty on local authorities to ensure housing for all homeless households. This target, and the broader strategy for tackling and preventing homelessness, was held up as an exemplar for the rest of Europe. Five years into a ten year programme, this paper will examine progress on implementation and consider the potential for policy transfer with reference to other European countries. The paper will summarise the process of policy review and the key recommendations of the Homelessness Task Force which reported in 2002. It will then examine the legislative and other policy instruments adopted to ensure implementation, prior to assessing progress and the mechanisms in place to monitor and evaluate outcomes. Finally, the paper will raise some questions with regard to possible lessons for other countries seeking to tackle homelessness. Conclusions will reflect on the sustainability and transferability of the Scottish approach to homelessness and whether Scotland might also learn from its European neighbours

Tackling street homelessness in Scotland: the evolution and impact of the Rough Sleepers Initiative

This paper presents a medium-long term analysis of the policy process in relation to tackling street homelessness in Scotland, through the Rough Sleepers Initiative. After setting the Scottish context in terms of governance and homelessness, the paper takes a chronological approach to policy review, drawing on empirical evaluative data and other documentary evidence. The paper then considers the overall effectiveness of the initiative in terms of its policy aims and in relation to the broader context of housing and welfare. The paper concludes by drawing some lessons which may have relevance beyond Scotland and the United Kingdom

The right to settled accommodation for homeless people in Scotland: a triumph of rational policy making?

This article presents a critical review of the final phase of implementation of the modernised Scottish homelessness framework, taking a ‘classical policy analysis’ approach to assessing its significance. The article draws on a combination of a review of evidence over the implementation period, new findings from research conducted in 2011-13 and critical observation of the policy process during implementation. Implementation was influenced by political change at Scottish and UK levels and by the impact of changes in other aspects of housing and welfare policy. The essence of the right to settled accommodation was successfully achieved, but incremental policy adjustment has meant that outcomes for those facing homelessness varied somewhat from the highest aspirations of the radical 2002 policy review, which set out the modernised framework. The extent to which the strengthened legal framework represents a policy success over the long term will depend on whether its continued implementation withstands the risk of ‘policy blurring’ in the most recent shift towards blending homelessness assessment, homelessness prevention activities and the broader assessment of the ‘housing options’ available to those seeking assistance

International learning as a driver of innovation in local-level policy-making: achievements and challenges from peer review of local homelessness policies

Analysis of housing and homelessness policies commonly focuses on the policy-making process at the national level, albeit recognising an important role for local agencies in policy implementation. This paper examines drivers for distinct local (city) level policy-making, and the potential role for international ‘peer review’ of local policies in sharing changing practice and enhancing the effectiveness of policy development and service delivery. The analysis reviews the first five years of annual peer reviews of city homelessness policies in Europe, mediated through the HABITACT European Exchange Forum on local homelessness strategies (2010-2014). After setting the context of EU-wide and national-level developments on homelessness policy, the paper examines the policy and practice responses of the case study cities that were subject to peer review, comparing city-level policy-making with the international research evidence base to reveal factors driving innovation at the local level. The process of peer review of city-level homelessness models is assessed through a comparison of the five reviews to date (each comprising an initial discussion paper, peer review workshop and post-workshop report) and the reflections of participating cities on the follow-up process, in order to assess the impact for both host and peer cities. The analysis confirms both the substantive role for local policy-making in meeting the needs of homeless people and the added value of a structured peer review process to support international lessonlearning and assess realistic prospects for the transferability of local policy innovations to peer cities with different national policy frameworks