Although there are many aspects to street life in Brussels, I want to take a moment to discuss homelessness. Most of these pictures were taken during an 'educational tour’ at a shelter point for homeless people in 2009. That's over 10 years ago, and according to recent statistics the number of homeless people has doubled in Brussels since then. There has especially been an increase in the number of women and youth becoming homeless. Unfortunately, this trend has also been observed in many other European countries such as The Netherlands and Denmark, despite being known for their solid welfare system.
What causes the rise in numbers?
On the one hand, societal evolutions come into play. In Denmark, where they are worried about the rise of young people becoming homeless, research has partly accounted this to the fact that more young people struggle with mental issues than 10 years ago, thus more people become vulnerable to such situations. This might also be true for the wider population. On the other hand, structural trends have contributed to the increase, most notably the exuberant rise in rent prices, leading to a lack of available housing for people with less means.
Causes and social stigmas
People still often blame the individual for their situation. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrases “they’re homeless because they’re lazy, they should put in an effort to make something of their lives” or “they don’t want to better themselves, they just spend the money you give them on alcohol and cigarettes”.Struggling myself with finding a job and knowing how mental issues negatively affect your drive for initiative-taking, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to for a homeless person who has many more psychological, social and structural obstacles to face. So, let’s break down homelessness and get rid of misconceptions.
Even though it might seem like there’s a large distance between yourself - a middle- or higher-class individual - and a homeless person, in reality, homelessness occurs within all layers of society and age groups. While it remains true that people with a disadvantaged background have higher chances of become homeless and that the homeless you encounter on the streets are usually of the older age group, Danish researcher Lars Benjaminsen (2018) found that the number of young people becoming homeless is increasing and half of this group actually comes from a stable family situation. Furthermore, homelessness does not only refer to people sleeping on the streets or in homeless shelters, but also includes people living in ‘unfit’ housing (e.g. caravans), in housing declared unliveable or temporarily with friends, so-called “couch-surfers”. It’s also not only individuals that are homeless, but also families with children.
Another social stigma is that people end up on the streets because of drug or gambling addictions. Sure, some people do, however, the causes for homelessness are very diverse. Reasons include, but are not limited to: loss of job, bad ending of a relationship, a handicap, loss of a loved one, social isolation, escaping domestic violence, leaving an enclosed institution (such as prison or a mental institution). In general terms we can categorize causes into: financial troubles, mental issues, social problems, loss of housing or substance abuse and mental issues, with the first two being the main causes.
The above-mentioned factors are individual, however, as mentioned before, structural factors outside of the control of the individual such as increased housing prices, the influence and effects of migration or economic recess can also lead to homelessness or contribute to worsening the situation of an already homeless person. It is important to understand, though, that there isn’t just one cause for homelessness but different factors that interplay and that every case is different.
Getting out of the situation is therefore also a complex issue exactly because many people struggle with different things at the same time. Be aware of this the next time you might think to yourself “why don’t they just get a job?” First of all, not having an address, telephone number, bank account or appropriate clothing makes it very difficult to find work or obtain social welfare benefits. Secondly, mental health or/and addiction issues need to be addressed, which is a long-term process and requires adequate and consistent help from the outside. Another hurdle is that although homeless people are more prone to acts of violence or diseases, only 80% of them have access to health care. And then, for people on the streets, there is the daily imminent task of finding food and a place to sleep.
A human right
Aside from being mentioned in many national constitutions, the right to housing is internationally recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Art. 25): “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control”. Hence, it is the responsibility of the state to ensure that these rights are fulfilled and take action. Considering the fact that the number of homeless people keeps increasing, more action is needed, in particular structural changes that bring forth sustainable solutions. Indeed, there already are many organisations or systems in place to help the homeless, nonetheless these mostly provide emergency solutions.
A positive development in this area is the ‘Housing First’ initiative, which has already generated hopeful results in many countries worldwide. Whereas the homeless often have to comply with a list of conditions and go through a very long process before they can apply for housing, they would now get access straight away with little prerequisites and are offered counselling, social contact and daily activities. The idea is that if people can be provided with basic necessities, such as food and housing, they will be mentally and physically less burdened, thus finding it easier to address their other less urgent issues. Results show an increase in people finding work, a better physical and mental health state and even appears to have a positive effect on addiction issues. Not to mention that research has also concluded it to be more cost efficient for societies.
Furthermore, other research points to a lack between coordination and cooperation between the different organisations, NGO’s and other actors involved with helping the homeless. A holistic approach is more efficient and effective and needs to be fostered.
In addition, I strongly believe that schools raising awareness on this matter through educative in the field experiences is very valuable and should be part of the curriculum. As mentioned, during my secondary school time I went on a type of 'educational tour', which included visiting a shelter, asking questions to a homeless person and handing out soup at the train stations to the homeless.
Finally, what can you as an individual do? You can of course donate to existing organisations, do volunteer or advocacy work, however, becoming aware and understanding the complexities of homelessness is definitely an important step. Be respectful, empathic and maybe even try to strike up a conversation. Remember that social isolation and discrimination is what most homeless people consider to be one of the leading detrimental factors to their well-being.