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United Force

The aim of this project was to adopt new approaches, methods and attitudes, which proved to be efficient and effective in other countries, in order to significantly improve the homeless care system of Hungary. Key elements included:

providing training and employment support, including training to find a job and to keep a job
changing perceptions of homeless people amongst employers and the public e.g. involving employers in focus groups
supporting the homeless population to become stronger through empowerment and lobbying
provide training and information for social workers to enable an improvement in skills and competencies and more holistic support - e.g. through a clearer assessment model
improve the overall infrastructure of homelessness services in Budapest
look at how to make jobs 'legal' rather than just helping people move into already 'legal' jobs
strengthen the street paper written and sold by homeless people, which could include writing articles on the EQUAL programme and views on it

Organisations involved in running this project:

The Budapest Methodological Centre and its Institutions is not only the largest homeless service provider in Budapest - run by the City Government - but the largest institution of this kind in Hungary and in Central-Eastern Europe. It serves half of the Hungarian homeless population. BMSZKI (today) consists of 16 institutions and services including a Medical Crisis Centre, a shelter for retired homeless people, a day centre, street social work, night shelters, a temporary shelter, a protected temporary shelter and a hostel for women and children.

Shelter Foundation has been a Budapest based homeless service provider since 1989. Their aim is to improve the situation of those people who live without a home and are disadvantaged because of social and mental health reasons. Their activities include providing: an information service; a social service; a legal service and legal aid forum; a homeless shelter; a day centre; an EU-room for homeless people; a street paper; a dispatcher service and hotline; an outreach and crisis care; a movie club; a housing model program.