Preventing youth homelessness in rural areas : the case of Northrhine-Westfalia

Preventing youth homelessness

in rural areas

The case of North Rine-Westfalia

Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe:

key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness

8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

Alexander Sbosny

The state programme in NRW




Alexander Sbosny

established in 1996 to support

communities and non-communal

institutions of the welfare sector

(co-payment 20%)

exemplary instead of structural

funding with a focus on the

prevention of homelessness (total

volume per year ~ 1.1 million €)

premises: innovation, orientation on

social environment, transferability

(funding period max. 3 years)




Alexander Sbosny

The project WohnPerspektiven

duration: 02/2010 - 02/2013

target group: young homeless people

and those threatened with

homelessness (aged between 15-27)

aims: survey youth homelessness in

3 rural areas, develop and test

different kinds of help

resources: additional employees for

the participating institutions, project

management, scientific supervision

and evaluation




Alexander Sbosny

The project WohnPerspektiven

survey

interviews with key players

of the support system and

homeless people to learn

about youth homelessness

conferences to activate the

dialogue between the

different institutions of the

support system

public relations




Alexander Sbosny

Findings about the target group

youth homelessness in

rural areas is an invisible

phenomenon, no data

concerning the quantitative

dimension exists

multiple problems underlie

housing insecurity,

permanent conflicts with

parents / partners as main

triggers

clients and support system

do not match!




Alexander Sbosny

Findings about the target group

everyday life

family/ friends

range of movement

5 kilometres

changing housing situations

in a small radius

clients often search for

private solutions beyond

the institutional support

system, especially with the

help of friends and family




Alexander Sbosny

Findings about the help system

wide range of community

facilities and social

institutions in most rural

parts of NRW as well

no specific support system

for the target group

surrounding support system

(e.g. Debtor Consulting

Agency, Counselling Centre

for Drug Addicts) is

overstrained with youth

homelessness




Alexander Sbosny

Findings about the help system

“marshalling-yard”: shifting

the responsibility for young

homeless people in rural

areas

on average 8 „false helps“

are necessary to get the

„right help“ in the Housing

Emergency Support

approach 1:

Preventing youth

homelessness in rural areas

needs all local expertise and

personal resources!

instrument: navigation aid




Alexander Sbosny

Results of WohnPerspektiven




Alexander Sbosny


approach 2:

Preventing youth

homelessness in rural areas

needs explicit competences

and responsibilities!

instrument: case

conferences




Alexander Sbosny


approach 3:

Preventing youth homelessness in rural

areas needs a dialogue between the

Housing Emergency Support and the

Educational System!

instruments: study guide and

collaborative teaching units




Alexander Sbosny


general:

networking is the missing

link between clients and

support system

dialogue between the

different stakeholders of

social welfare has to

become a routine

benefit: less excessive

demand and acceptable

solutions




Alexander Sbosny

We achieved a lot..

Results and findings of WohnPerpektiven were transferred across

the state and to stakeholders.

In some regions the co-operative model of preventing youth

homelessness is working steadily.

North Rhine-Westfalia is still operating its yearly statistics on

homelessness and focuses regularly on youth homelessness.

The state department for social welfare organizes dialogues

between stakeholders of the homeless and the youth welfare

services to find a connecting model for the prevention of

homelessness and the support for young homeless people beyond

local arrangements. Open end!




Alexander Sbosny

But…

There is no systematic funding or claiming of prevention networks

for young homeless people.

Local solutions depend on traditions, connections and political

opinions.

Young homeless men and women are a target group with only a

small lobby especially in rural areas.

Contact:

Alexander Sbosny

StadtRaumKonzept GmbH

Phone: 0049 231 5323446

Mail: [email protected]




Government & Nonprofit

Preventing youth homelessness in rural areas : the case of Northrhine-Westfalia