This date “is a milestone, a form of ideal, to tell ourselves that we are all driven by a common objective”, justified the French Minister Delegate for Housing, Emmanuelle Wargon.
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The countries of the European Union adopted, Monday, February 28, a work plan for the housing of homeless people, which aims for a goal of zero people on the street in 2030. Adopted under the French presidency of the EU, this plan follows the creation of a European platform, decided in June 2021 under the Portuguese presidency and coordinated by former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme. “Platform members pledge to work together towards ending homelessness in 2030”says the text.
This date “is a milestone, a form of ideal, to tell ourselves that we are all driven by a common goal”, justified the French Minister Delegate for Housing, Emmanuelle Wargon. “We are going to try to tend towards zero. We still have people who we will not have recovered. But we must first reduce the number, and above all shorten the duration where people are homeless, homeless, without lodging”added the European Commissioner for Social Rights, the Luxembourg socialist Nicolas Schmit.
Several measures of this plan should make it possible to better count homeless people across the Union. One initiative, proposed by the European Parliament, will consist of a census campaign over a very short time throughout the EU, to have comparable counts.
A Europe-wide awareness campaign will also be organized in 2024 and the Commission will encourage Member States to devote more European funds to housing and accommodation policies. The European Federation of National Organizations Working with the Homeless (Feantsa) estimates that 700,000 people sleep rough, in emergency or temporary accommodation, every night in the EU.