EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - FEANTSA – European Federation of national organisations working with people who are homeless

FEANTSA – European Federation of national organisations working with people who are homeless

Introduction

FEANTSA is the only major European network that focuses exclusively on homelessness at European level and receives financial support from the European Commission for the implementation of its activities.

Description

FEANTSA is increasingly focusing on the urban dimension of EU policy namely through:

strengthened cooperation with local authorities in the European Forum to combat homelessness;
cooperation with Eurostat for collecting data on homelessness for the Urban Audit;
participating in debates on housing and regional policy in various EU institutions.

Activities of FEANTSA include:

Transnational Exchanges

To promote and facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practice between FEANTSA's member organisations. This exchange gives members access to effective and innovative approaches to the problem of homelessness through working groups and seminars.
To promote and facilitate exchanges between non-members (civil servants, local authorities, etc) in the framework of the European Forum to combat homelessness which is made up of different sub-for a, including the local authorities forum on homelessness.

Research
FEANTSA established the European Observatory on Homelessness in 1991 to facilitate research to promote better understanding of the complexity and the changing nature of homelessness. This network is composed of eleven national research correspondents from different EU countries who have built up extensive experience in the field of homelessness and housing exclusion.

Partnerships
FEANTSA works closely with the EU institutions, and has consultative status at the Council of Europe and at the United Nations. FEANTSA works closely with research networks such as the European Network on Housing Research. FEANTSA is a founding member of the European Housing Forum (a forum of European organisations active in the field of housing). FEANTSA is a member of the Platform of European Social NGOs, EAPN (European Anti-Poverty Network) and EPHA (European Public Health Alliance).

Participants

The some 100 member organisations of FEANTSA come from 30 European countries, including 24 Member States of the European Union. Members are non-governmental organisations that provide a wide range of services to people who are homeless including accommodation and social support. Most of the members of FEANTSA are national or regional umbrella organisations of service providers who work in close co-operation with public authorities, social housing providers and other relevant actors.

More information on the members of FEANTSA can be found in the "links section " at the bottom of this page.

Network lead

The network is coordinated by its secretariat in Brussels.

Objectives

Role of FEANTSA: To provide a voice for NGOs.

Mission: To be/create the most effective means of ending homelessness in the EU.

Strategies/methods:

Influencing decision-making at EU level;
Building capacity of members to lobby/influence the homelessness agenda nationally, and be aware of the impact of EU level policy-making at national level;
Mutual learning with all partners who share the FEANTSA mission;
Using research/expertise to provide solutions to homelessness.

Products

FEANTSA homeless service providers produce various European thematic reports, policy statements and policy proposals.

The FEANTSA observatory produces annual research in relation to homelessness (changing profiles, services, role of the state).

EU involvement

FEANTSA mainly contributes to the following EU initiatives:

The EU social protection and inclusion strategy;
EU urban issues (Urban Audit, URBACT, etc);
The EU Employment strategy;
The services directives and debates;
The EU health strategy;
The EU Housing Ministers meetings.

Contact info

FEANTSA secretariat
Ms Liz Gosme (FEANTSA Policy Officer), tel. +32 2 538 6669

Links

Homepage of FEANTSA Members of FEANTSA European Observatory on Homelessness

Document type

network

Themes

Urban Policy > Housing > Housing policy

Keywords

Homelessness