IFSW Europe is supporting a campaign by the Housing Rights Watch and the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) against the criminalisation of homelessness. The campaign draws attention to the increasing number of laws, policies and regulations that force a growing portion of our communities into precarious social, economic and legal existence. The criminalisation of homeless is a form of criminalization of poverty which means that homeless people are punished doubly: first, they are criminalized by the penal system for simply being homeless, second, they are excluded from diminishing social aid programs for being criminals. The campaign promotes homeless people get access to appropriate housing and not to turn homeless people into criminals.
We encourage IFSW members to join and support the campaign as well. Read more about the campaign and how to join it.