Researching Homelessness: An Opportunity to Increase Social Consciousness and

to Strengthen Social Networks

Rosario Sánchez-Morales

FEANTSA's European Observatory on Homelessness - European Research ConferenceHomelessness and Poverty in Europe - International and European Perspectives

Paris, Friday 18 September 2009

Manuel MuñozPedro José Cabrera

Doing Research on Homelessness: Technical, Political and Ethical conditions

Our main OBJECTIVES?

To know more about… THEN (SDF) and what are they doing 

…what WE (ADF) are doing

… the RELATIONSHIP joining/dividing to each other

Doing Research on Homelessness… (2)

HOW do we made research:

From the University 

From Public Administration and Servicies

From Citizenship and Civil Society

Doing Research on Homelessness…(3)

For WHAT do we made research?

For increase knowledge… 

For managing better….

For living with diginity

Some other limits

Quantitative / Qualitative a false dilemma

Counts (“cuentas”) and Tales (“cuentos”)

What, Where, How, and Who counts?,

Discovering or Verifying

Researching homelessness in Spain using S-Nights methodology

State of the art in European countries Madrid, Barcelona… General frame for researh

Administration, NGO’s, University Volonteers

Recruitment and Training Direction, Negotiation and Mediation The Collective Researcher Fieldwork and Logistic

Practical arrangements

An example of census area assigned to a team in Madrid

Results

Barcelona Madrid

Volonteers 708 629

Roofless people counted 634-658 650

Males 89.5% 89.1%

Foreigners 62% 55-53%

Main Nationalities Romania 16.3%Morocco 8.9%Poland 5.2%

Romania 36.2%Poland 10.5%

Morocco/Portugal 7.7%

Primary or Less Educational Level 52% 52%

More than a year living in the streets 46% 62%

Homeless lodged in shelters 49% 62%

RESULTS“From your point of view, what are been the main reasons

for becoming roofless?”

24,7

16,1

9,7

6,5

5,4

2,2

5,4

3,2

21,5

5,4

27,0

19,0

13,8

4,2

9,0

1,1

2,6

5,3

11,1

6,9

Falta de trabajo

Probl. Familiares / Ruptura afectiva

Falta de "papeles"

Alcohol

Drogadicción

Excarcelación

Voluntariamente

Enfermedad

Falta de dinero

Otras

Barcelona

Madrid

RESULTS“Wich kind of logement do you prefer?”

14,52

5,65

5,65

12,90

35,48

30,65

12,5

14,3

33,9

42,9

60,7

Un piso para mi familia

Un albergue

Una pensión

Una habitaciónsubarrendada

Un piso para mi solo

Un piso compartido conotras personas

Barcelona

Madrid

Final Reflections

Media’s role

Going far away the University

Giving leading role

Success or Failure?

Finding, Showing, Changing