New European Parliament 'can act to end homelessness'

The new heads of the four biggest parliamentary groups in the European Parliament voted in favour of a Homelessness Strategy for the European Union in 2011.  They can use their new position to make this call a reality, according to FEANTSA.

Following the recent European elections, the chairs of the European Parliamentary groups have been appointed.

Rebecca Harms (co-chair), Philippe Lamberts (co-chair), Martin Schulz, Guy Verhofstadt and Manfred Weber, the respective chairmen of the Greens/EFA group, the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the European People’s Party (EPP), already members of the European Parliament in 2011, voted  in favour of a Resolution calling for an European Union (EU) Homelessness Strategy, adopted by the European Parliament on 14September 2011.

With this Resolution, the European Parliament sent out a strong political message that homelessness is an urgent issue that the European Union must tackle through co-ordination and support of member states’ policies.

The 2011 Resolution followed a Declaration (61/2010) calling for an ambitious EU Homelessness Strategy and for support to member states in their efforts towards ending homelessness.

The European Parliament Declaration 111/2008 on Ending Street Homelessness also called on member states to develop winter plans to stop homeless people dying in extreme weather conditions.

The European Parliament adopted another Resolution on an EU Homelessness Strategy, recalling the previous Resolution, on 16th January 2014.

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FEANTSA congratulates the Parliament on its dedication to tackling homelessness, which is a violation of human dignity and fundamental rights.  It wishes to remind the Parliamentary leaders of their commitments and urges them to follow-up on their calls and move towards ending homelessness.

There is a clear need to use strategic policies with a long-term view to ending homelessness.  Continuing to ‘manage’ homelessness is neither sustainable nor acceptable in today’s Europe.  The four parliamentary group leaders can now be catalysts in putting this strategic approach to ending homelessness in place.

“The new Parliamentary Group leaders showed their support for ending homelessness in Europe back in 2011.  Now they are in a position to turn this support into action and make the European Homelessness Strategy a reality.  They must make sure they deliver,” said FEANTSA Director Freek Spinnewijn.

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