FEANTSAs European Campaign on Ending Homelessness General Assembly

FEANTSA’s European Campaign on Ending Homelessness General Assembly, Cardiff, 15 November 2008

Brief background n n n GA in Zaragoza, Nov 2007 – decided that FEANTSA should organise a European Campaign on ending homelessness AC in Berlin, Jan 2008 – a concrete proposal for the campaign was requested AC in Brussels, June 2008 – a campaign outline was presented and feedback from AC members was collected. Decided that launch in 2010 would tie in well with the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion & EU funding opportunities

What is the campaign all about? The aim of the campaign is to reinforce the message that homelessness can be brought to an end, and not just managed. The campaign will give ideas as to how to end homelessness and show who is making good progress and where.

What does ending homelessness mean for this campaign? n n Nobody sleeping on the streets for lack of emergency services adapted to his/her needs and aspirations Nobody living in emergency accommodation for longer than is an emergency Nobody who is in an institution – be it hospital, prison or care – to be discharged without sufficient support and adequate housing options Nobody forced to live in highly insecure and/or inadequate housing because of lack of appropriate social and/or financial support and adequate housing alternatives.

What are our objectives at national and European level? n n n A clear movement away from managing homelessness to ending it Clear European targets for ending homelessness Useful strategic framework at EU level to move towards ending homelessness Development of strategies to end homelessness in several EU cities/countries Better understanding of homelessness issues amongst policy makers and general public

Who is our target audience? n n Local authorities National governments European institutions General Public You decide – you know best who ought to be targetted in your country!

How will we spread the word? n n The messages of the campaign will be spread through a number of activities across Europe which will be organised by FEANTSA members. These activities will be linked together by a touring exhibition of 30 bronze sculptures representing homeless people. (Ninna Hoegh will give more detail on this touring exhibition after this presentation. ) A launch event will take place in the European Parliament in Brussels, then the touring exhibition will divide into three and tour around Europe, accompanied by info and lobbying materials. Unique opportunity to link our messages to something very visual and tangible. The events organised around the exhibition could be high-level political debates, seminars, press conferences etc.

Touring exhibition of sculptures representing homeless people n n Is your organisation/your country interested in hosting this touring exhibition? What activities could you enviseage organising in conjunction with the exhibition? We’ll return to these quetions after Ninna’s presentation

How will the campaign be coordinated? n n n Coordination will be managed by the FEANTSA office, with a number of FEANTSA member volunteers. Dedicated communication teams in FEANTSA member countries to be identified (Finland, Italy – any others? ) or created. Communications guidelines will be created by FEANTSA office and distributed to FEANTSA members.

Materials for the Campaign n n n Touring exhibition leaflet outlining our key messages Practical information kit for hosting the touring exhibition Guide to effective homeless strategies – 10 Steps Manual outlining actual or suggested projects or initiatives across Europe that aim to end homelessness Press kit, press releases, photos Fact sheets Posters

Timeline n n Now to Nov 2009: roll out of campaign logo, campaign materials, structuring of web pages, decision on tour dates and venues December 2009: Campaign launch at the European Parliament in Brussels Jan-December 2010: Exhibition tour and FEANTSA member activities across Europe December 2010: Closure of campaign and presentation of manifesto, in Brussels

Key EU Dates n n n 2009: European Parliament elections 2009: Presidencies in Czech Republic and Sweden May 2009: PEP in Czech Republic October 2009: Round Table in Sweden 2010: Presidencies in Spain and Belgium May 2010: PEP in Spain What key events are coming up in your country - ie 10 year anniversary of your organisation (Rauxa, Spain)

What about the budget? n n The cost of the making of the sculptures and their transport across Europe is being taken care of A country/member interested in hosting the exhibition would need to cover the costs of: q q Venue hire Food & beverage Printing of materials in local languages Any event it would like to organise in conjunction with the exhibition

EU Funding n n n 2010 is the EU Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 9 million Euro available for Member State activities Budget envelopes of 120. 000 Euro to 750. 000 Euro per Member State Money available for activities which increase awareness of people experiencing poverty, particularly that of groups or persons in vulnerable situations, and help to combat stereotypes and stigmatisation. Activities which are eligible for funding are meetings, seminars and events like the touring exhibition, information campaigns, surveys and studies etc.

How can we access EU funding for the EU Year 2010? n n National Implementation Bodies (NIB’s) will be appointed by mid-January. They will be charged with selecting the national, regional and local actions to be proposed for EU funding. Get in contact with the NIB’s now to get your ideas on your national programme! National programmes must be submitted to the Commission by the end of March 2009. There’s not much time left, but this is an excellent opportunity for support and funding!

Next Steps… n Please inform me or the FEANTSA office if your organisation would like to: Be part of the campaign coordination q Lead a communications team for your country q Host the Touring Exhibition q Organise a campaign activity q