The European Platform on Combating Homelessness (EPOCH): From policy to practice and from practice to policy

Abstract

Over one in five EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This phenomenon has remained relatively stable over the last years, even decades. Homelessness is for sure the most extreme manifestation of poverty and social exclusion.

Contrary to the general stable picture of poverty and social exclusion in Europe, we see a homelessness scene that is increasingly crowded. It is therefore no surprise that homelessness is becoming very visible in Europe. More and more people are living on the streets or in public spaces and a growing group of people rely on emergency accommodation. During the day they are wandering in the streets and rely on people’s generosity to survive. Some people experiencing homelessness are less visible because they just prolong their stay in penal or health care institutions if a home is not (yet) available. Others seek refuge in mobile homes or stay a period of time with friends or family to avoid rooflessness.

In this article we will zoom in on this European Platform to see how it can be understood as a specific example of collective policy making, collective learning, and collective action at the European level because it is underpinned by two mutually reinforcing mechanisms: multi-stakeholdership and multilevel governance. We will also try to draw some lessons from the first years of functioning of EPOCH in a view to contribute to its mission to effectively combat homelessness.