Building more social housing is often presented as the obvious solution to address homelessness. Yet this approach, while important, is not enough to solve the problem of homeless people.
Accumulated backlog and endless waiting lists
For the past 30 years or so, social housing has been largely neglected in Europe, resulting in a critical situation marked by endless waiting lists. While the idea of building more social housing is necessary, it does not guarantee a solution for homeless people. For allocating these homes there are currently no specific quotas or clearly defined priorities for people living on the street. As a result, even if the social housing stock expands, it risks benefiting mainly those already inserted in the administrative circuits, leaving out the most vulnerable.
The need for reserved housing
What is needed is not just more social housing but also housing specifically for people who come directly off the street. Innovative approaches such as the Housing First program show that sustainable solutions are possible. However, to maximize their effectiveness, these programs must be combined with dedicated social housing, in terms of positive discrimination. This approach aims to create priority access channels, avoiding the most vulnerable people being blocked by too rigid criteria for allocation or waiting periods incompatible with the urgency of their situation. Without this type of targeted policy, homeless people will continue to be homeless because they are unable to complete the administrative and social procedures necessary to access housing.
Netherland’s example: high social housing but persistent homelessness
The idea that massive construction of social housing would be enough to reduce homelessness is contradicted by the example of some countries. In the Netherlands, for example, despite having one of the highest rates of social housing in Europe, the number of homeless people has increased in recent years. This is because access to these homes remains conditional on administrative and social criteria that people in extremely precarious situations have difficulty fulfilling. Thus, without taking homeless people specifically into account in these schemes, the simple increase of social housing supply is not sufficient to meet their needs.
Towards a more ambitious integration policy
The central question is not only whether more social housing should be built, but also whether a specific policy can be put in place to integrate homeless people into these accommodations. Today, although living on the streets is sometimes considered a criterion for eligibility, it is not sufficiently considered to meet the needs of this vulnerable public.
For social housing to become a real solution to the problem of homelessness, it is essential to develop a more ambitious strategy based on targeted policies, appropriate support arrangements and strong political will. Only a comprehensive and inclusive approach will transform access to housing into an effective weapon in the fight against homelessness.