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Dec 01

Housing

The aim of the project was to promote protection of the right to housing and homelessness prevention in the context of evictions. The research will identify early intervention and preventative measures, and create a profile of evicted households, risk factors and risk groups. Patterns of evictions across the EU Member States will be analysed in the context of structural factors, the economic crisis, welfare systems, legal practices and protections, and other factors. Measures which prevent homelessness within all EU Member States remain a priority for the European Commission.

This study supported the EU poverty reduction and active inclusion strategy through combatting homelessness, reducing housing vulnerability and promoting access to quality and efficient social services as underpinned by the Europe 2020 and the Social Investment Package.

To meet these goals, the project team prepared a study covering all EU Member States and organised a European seminar to discuss the findings of the study.

This study was divided in two work packages. The results of the study of work package 1 (WP1) showed the latest data and trends in, risk factors, reasons for and effects of initiated and actual evictions and establish the relative importance of eviction as a pathway into homelessness covering all EU Member States. In work package 2 (WP2) the aim was to identify the most effective and efficient measures to prevent, tackle and monitor evictions. This part of the study also covered all relevant existing measures, including temporary measures introduced as a result of the crisis. Also a separate set of analysis for measures concerning private rentals, social rentals and own properties has been prepared.

Project

For preparing the legal and policy background, the nature and extent of actual evictions and the number of households being involved in the process of evictions and reasons and risk factors for evictions and the extent to which evictions leads to homelessness, the core research team have prepared a template for gathering this data on a national level. This resulted in national eviction profiles from each of the EU Member States, compiled by the national experts.

The core team identified and analysed then, based on the national eviction profiles, the EU-wide trends in eviction, and was able to make comparisons with international (non-EU) eviction profiles, like the USA and/or Australia (WP1).

For WP2 the national experts needed to identify the most effective and efficient measures to prevent, tackle and monitor evictions. The core team drafted a template for gathering this data on a national level. This resulted in country-specific suggestions for each of the EU Member States.

Based on the country-specific suggestions, the core team compiled a report of key outcomes, which highlighted the main conclusions and useful findings for the European Union relating to 'best' practices to prevent, tackle and monitor evictions, comparing Member States and international (non-EU) best practices.

To discuss the findings and recommendations of the study the project team organised, in close cooperation with the European Commission, a European one-day seminar in Brussels on 16 October 2015. This event attracted approximately 100 experts and policy-makers. A balanced composition of participants was ensured by geographical spread and expert background. 

Report(s) / events

This project resulted in two studies and has been integrated into one report. The project was presented as one full study to the European Commission. The usefulness of the findings and recommendations of the report were tested in more detail at the European one-day seminar in Brussels organised at the end of the project (16 October 2015).

Main findings

The main findings for the project were presented to the European Commission (see the details mentioned under reports/events).

Details

Pilot project - Promoting protection of the right to housing - Homelessness prevention in the context of evictions (December 2013 – December 2015)

European Union Member States

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