Practice and Policy Influencing
Working with FEANTSA
The European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) is a European non-governmental organisation. It is the only major European network that focuses exclusively on homelessness at European level. FEANTSA receives financial support from the European Commission for the implementation of its activities. The organisation works closely with the EU institutions, and has consultative status at the Council of Europe and at the United Nations
OSW and other 4Inclusion partners were (and continue to be) active members of FEANTSA. We worked with FEANTSA to influence policy at a European level, to try to ensure that funding and strategies tackled homelessness holistically, including through skills and employment.
Participation
In 2005, OSW (London’s transnational lead partner) commissioned FEANTSA to carry out an audit of participation practices among its members. The aim of this audit was to obtain an overview of participation across Europe; to identify some good or innovative practices in this area, to examine the opinions, approaches and concerns that prevail in relation to participation among homelessness service providers and to identify common barriers to participation.
FEANTSA
and OSW Participation Audit 2005 (English, 343 KB)
Auditoría
sobre participación de FEANSTA y OSW (Español, 283 KB)
Sondage
sur la participation par la FEANTSA et OSW (Français, 149 KB)
FEANTSA és OSW Szerepvallalasi audit (Magyar, 848 KB)
Following this audit, FEANTSA set up a European Participation Working Group.
Employment
4Inclusion member OSW led on the development of a FEANTSA group paper on barriers and solutions to employment. This paper was fed into the response to the European Commission’s communications on minimum income policies and integration of those furthest from the labour market.
Multiple Barriers, Multiple Efforts: Employment Barriers and Solutions for homeless individuals (English, 350 KB)
‹‹Múltiples Barreras, Múltiples Esfuerzos››: Barreras al empleo y soluciones para las personas sin hogar (Español, 373 KB)
«Obstacles multiples, Approches multiples»: Obstacles et solutions en matière d’emploi des personnes sans domicile (Français, 330 KB)
In addition, links between FEANTSA, OSW, TMD London and 4inclusion provided effective routes into various member states and supported the first ever transnational study into homelessness and employment support. This covered 9 member states in depth, and supported the work of 4inclusion as well as FEANTSA’s work on its’ lead theme for 2007 – employment.
Via the FEANTSA Employment Working Group, and OSW’s direct involvement, the 4inclusion partners also provided key input for FEANTSA’s 2007 annual conference on Homelessness and Employment. The 4inclusion partners, along with other EQUAL partnerships, took part in a joint workshop on the lessons from EQUAL.
2007 FEANTSA conference report (582 KB).