World Homelessness Day: The potential of the ESF to tackle homelessness highlighted through FEANTSA 2017 Ending Homelessness Awards
Today, on World Homelessness Day, Corina Cretu, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, will hand out the FEANTSA 2017 Ending Homelessness Awards at an event organised as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities.
The FEANTSA Awards celebrate 60 years of the European Social Fund (ESF) by showcasing outstanding ESF-funded projects tackling homelessness. The top three awards will go to projects from the Czech Republic, Finland and the United Kingdom.
Though the primary responsibility for organising and funding measures to address homelessness lies at local, regional and national level, the ESF and other European instruments can provide added value as leverage for improving policies and services.
Now is a key moment in the preparation of the post 2020 Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF). The priorities for the next MFF are the subject of fierce debate, with significant downward pressure on resources. FEANTSA believes the new MFF must include specific provisions for people in the most deprived situations, like those experiencing homelessness.
