In the framework of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, Feantsa is running a campaign called 'Ending Homelessness'. The central message of this campaign is that homelessness can and should be ended, with the development of integrated homelessness strategies which address five key goals:
Feantsa’s members are continuing the campaign at national and local level with their own events, such as debates and conferences involving key stakeholders implicated in the effort to end homelessness.
Feantsa members are also running other events on combating homelessness in the framework of EY 2010, such as holding conferences, running a campaign on social inclusion, hosting the “social inclusion games”, and drafting national strategies to combat homelessness, poverty and social exclusion.
FEANTSA officially launched its campaign on the 14th April 2010 with a hearing in the European Parliament opened by Commissioner László Andor. The launch was co-organised by Feantsa, Liz Lynne MEP, Britta Thomsen MEP, Karima Delli MEP, Ilda Figueiredo MEP, Jacek Protasiewicz MEP and Projekt Udenfor. Participants discussed how the EU can facilitate effective action to tackle homelessness and the involved MEPs signed a common statement on ending homelessness. Also launched was the campaign Handbook, a publication which gives examples of best practice for meeting the five campaign goals, for use by policy makers and others seeking to tackle homelessness in Europe. The event also marked the opening of an exhibition of life-size sculptures of homeless people by the Danish artist Jens Galschiøt. This exhibition is currently travelling Europe, with Feantsa members in Hungary hosting the statues in July.
Feantsa, the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless is an umbrella of not-for-profit organisations which participate in or contribute to the fight against homelessness in Europe. It is the only major European network that focuses exclusively on homelessness at European level.
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