In the European Union and the United Kingdom there are approximately 900 thousand people living on the streets A strong increase compared to the 2019 record

At least 895,000 people live on the streets in the EU and UKAccording to a report published on Tuesday by the European Federation of Associations Working with Homeless People (Feantsa). Cause number a surprise since then higher than in 2019, She promoted a new demand for the authorities to address the struggle of the homeless.

“This estimate – based on partial data that takes into account only the most visible forms of residential exclusion – It shows the inability of European countries to make housing a basic right“, consider the report written by the French Abbey Pierre Foundation.

By adding up the numbers from the thirteen countries for which they had sufficiently reliable and comparable data, they concluded this 0.174% of Europe’s population lives on the streets or in emergency accommodation.

In relation to the total population of the European Union and the United Kingdom, the proportion of the population living on the streets or in emergency accommodation would equate to approximately 895,000 homeless people in the 28 countries.

There are approximately 200,000 more than in 2019the last year Feantsa made this estimate.

The researchers also warned that “this calculation gives an approximate idea of ​​the minimum scope of the phenomenon, but it is in no way a way to determine the true number of homeless and without adequate housing in Europe.”

Among the countries monitored are: In some countries, the number of homeless people has decreased, such as Finland, It has invested a lot in housing construction and applies the “housing first” principle, which is to provide housing as quickly as possible to those living on the streets.

next to, In Austria, where this principle also applies, the number of homeless people also decreased in 2020, It was available last year, but that may have been due to measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the publication of the new figures, Vinica claimed that “all Member States must urgently design and publish national strategies to put an end” to this phenomenon, and urged the European Commission to Strengthening its platform to combat homelessness.