Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Roof over one’s head: Despite the data showing that there are more than 11 million houses left empty throughout Europe, around 700,000 persons face homelessness each night in Europe, accounting for a 70% increase since 2010. How can the EU tackle the housing crisis and achieve its target of ending homelessness by 2030? by Kacper Lubiewski (PL) and Iva Petrešević (RS)
1. Background and relevance Over 700,000 individuals are sleeping on the streets of Europe every night, as over the past decade the number of rough sleepers has increased by 70%. As housing is considered a fundamental right31, homelessness is considered one of the most extreme showcases of poverty and hardships. However, homelessness is not only defined as sleeping rough, as it can also imply living in temporary, insecure, or poor-quality housings. In general, homelessness comes as a result of various issues, including unemployment, migration, finances, or criminal offences. Yet, it is often thought that rough sleepers are to blame for their situation, and are often seen as lazy and irresponsible, which is caused by the stigma that has been created around the topic. The biggest problems that occur as a consequence of sleeping rough are health and safety issues, decreased life expectancy, social isolation, as well as limited access to basic public services and benefits. These issues frequently lead to rough sleepers encountering abuse, kidnappings, and in some extreme cases, even modern slavery32. Additional aspects leaving rough sleepers extremely vulnerable are the extreme weather events caused by the changing climate. The global COVID-19 pandemic has not only contributed to the increase in the number of rough sleepers, but also caused a decrease in the support offered to these individuals. Ever since the breakout of the virus, a substantial number of job losses have been recorded in Europe, further burdening the issue of homelessness within the EU. Strict restrictions to healthcare access, as well as extensive financial difficulties, have negatively impacted fundings of support organisations, and shelters for homeless people.
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Fundamental rights are rights granted by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human rights, that require a high degree of protection from the governments. 32 Modern slavery is a severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain. 54
