Conférence 

Répondre au sans-abrisme par l’investissement social

 3 décembre 2024 Palais de l’Europe, Strasbourg, France (& en ligne) 

 

 Background

The surge in homelessness has become an increasingly pressing issue, with rising numbers of homeless people in most European countries. Economic challenges, housing shortages, social exclusion, the increase of refugee numbers and other systemic issues contribute to the growing housing crisis, negatively affecting people’s physical and mental health, well- being, and life expectancy, as well as their access to employment and access to other economic and social services. As homelessness reaches alarming levels, it has entered the political discourse, prompting discussions on social support and the need for comprehensive solutions. This is the context in which social investment can play a role in addressing the multiple social challenges associated with homelessness.

Against this socioeconomic backdrop, the CEB is exploring ways to upscale its operations to fight homelessness, as also reflecting the requests from shareholders and the strategy laid out in the Bank`s Strategic Framework 2023-2027. While certainly a potential important subfield of activity in the social housing segment, barriers to develop bankable projects are particularly high in this policy field due to a high degree of grant/subsidy dependency, including funding from the European Union`s InvestEU programme.

In the political sphere, the Council of Europe (CoE), pays increasing attention to homelessness, in particular via the Charter of Social Rights, the right to housing, and thus, the obligation of its Member States to provide adequate housing for their citizens. A number of high-profile complaints are presented before the European Court of Human Rights and respective policy responses will need to be formulated and implemented. In addition, the CoE`s deep routing in national, regional and local law-making bodies of its Member States, provides a very close exposure to the urgent topic of homelessness.

In recent years, the European Union has adopted strategies to stimulate sustainable and inclusive growth and social resilience. In a follow-up to previous political commitments to address homelessness, a further significant milestone on the EU level was achieved with the signing of the Lisbon Declaration under the Portuguese EU-Presidency in June 2021. This landmark agreement involved national ministers, representatives of the European Commission (EC), the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of Regions, civil society organisations, social partners, and cities. The declaration outlined a collective commitment to ending homelessness by 2030, and to establish the EC DG EMPL-led European Platform on Combatting Homelessness (EPOCH) to address the problem. The Platform is also a concrete deliverable of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan to implement Principle 19 on Housing and assistance to the homeless. Since then, EPOCH is operating through three key work streams: strengthening evidence on homelessness, promoting mutual learning activities, and facilitating access to finance – so far, a key obstacle given the high degree of grant support necessary for a successful project implementation. EPOCH’s work stream on financing is co-chaired by the CEB, and is committed to exploring funding possibilities and assisting in the formulation of projects aimed at combating homelessness.

Use of EU Funds to support social investment – InvestEU programme: the EU has launched the InvestEU programme to mobilize public and private investment to address societal challenges, increase social resilience, foster innovation, and contribute to economic growth.2The CEB has been an InvestEU implementing partner since 2022. In line with our social mandate, the Bank has been working under the Social Investment and Skills Policy Window. This includes funding operations focused on affordable social housing.

An additional component of the InvestEU programme is the InvestEU Advisory Hub which was created to support the development of a robust pipeline of investment projects through advisory initiatives. Under the InvestEU Advisory Hub, the CEB has been providing, since the beginning of 2023, project advisory services, technical assistance and capacity building support to project promoters and financial intermediaries across Europe. The Bank is currently assessing the possibility of two projects concerning homelessness - one in Portugal and another in France.

In all, evident urgency, increased political attention to the subject and, potentially increasing grant funding opportunities, underline that the time is right to bring together different players, including financing entities, informed policy makers and academia to propel concrete initiatives, and to advance the cause of homelessness support.

 

 Objective of the event

The proposed event aims to contribute meaningfully to the discourse on homelessness and would strengthen the link between the Bank, the Council of Europe and the European Commission. The event would include the subject`s scientific/quantitative aspects, work towards sustainable solutions in partnership with other stakeholders – including in making the case for grant financing, to explore social investment as a possible approach to fight it, to promote InvestEU opportunities, and underscore the CEB’s active engagement in this field. In addition, the event would promote the CEB as knowledge generator and as potential business partner (first mover for upscaling activities in homelessness housing financing).

As an event funded by the Invest EU Advisory Hub communication budget, the event has to deliver on the following objectives:

  • Inform on the opportunities made available under InvestEU, with a focus on the Advisory Hub initiatives agreed on by the CEB and EC
  • Inform on key results and best practice associated with the initiatives agreed on by the CEB and EC under the InvestEU Advisory Hub
  • Create/strengthen support for InvestEU, in particular for the Social Investment and Skills and Sustainable Infrastructure Windows, by sharing key results and best practice associated with the initiatives agreed by the CEB and EC under the InvestEU Advisory Hub
  • Ensure high visibility and improved general awareness of the EU contribution to CEB’s InvestEU Advisory Hub initiatives.