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Description
The problem of young people in a crisis of homelessness is not gaining enough attention in Poland. Solutions have not been devised that are intended solely for this group. Our studies of homelessness of young people (aged 18-25) in 2019 show that in a period of three months, as many as 150 young people made use of institutional help in Warsaw (training residences, shelters, accommodation). We know that young people rarely resort to institutional solutions (shelters, accommodation) and instead seek their own solutions – squatting, or sleeping in stairwells or buses. This means that the scale of the problem is considerably greater.The project aims to devise and promulgate solutions to help young people in homelessness crisis in a way that meets their needs, and include in our activities a new way of reaching young people in need.We will appoint a team of specialists from various areas of Poland with links to County Family Aid Centres and facilities (orphanage, resocialization facility), CSOs, social welfare authorities, and science, and also twenty young people. We will orientate young people in participation principles and what participation means. The team will produce a report on needs of young people in homelessness crisis, giving tips on working with the group and recommendations on creating support tools. We will organize three conferences to debate these issues (involving young people). We will create a streetworking youth group (fifteen people), to take part in regular patrols in Warsaw, and create a FB group for young people seeking support. We will run a training residence.A report will be produced on the needs of young people in homelessness crisis, which will be read by 3000 specialists. The young people will improve their community competencies and their living situation.100 young people will receive support in the project, thirty of whom will become involved in self-advocacy activities.
Summary of project results
The project responds to the problem of homelessness among young people in Poland. So far, no solutions have been developed exclusively for young people. There are only a few places that direct their offer to young people, but the criteria for selection of recipients of assistance are wide (e.g. support for people from 18 to 35 years). Such places bring together, for example, people who have been in prison for many years and people leaving foster care. The project promoter''s research shows that in 2019, 150 young people from 18 to 25 years of age benefited from systemic support (training apartments, shelters) in Warsaw over a three-month period. However, young people rarely use systemic solutions such as a shelter. This is because they often choose to solve the problem on their own - spending the night in squats, stairwells, train stations or buses. The scale of the problem is therefore much greater. With the right support, young people are able to become independent, overcome addictions, deal with mental health issues, and find employment. However, this becomes more difficult the longer a young person stays on the streets. It is therefore crucial to identify the problem and take action as early as possible.
As part of the project, the project promoter undertook to develop new solutions for youth adults at risk of or experiencing homelessness - people leaving foster care institutions or whose families are unable to provide them with safe and stable development. A report describing the situation of youth in crisis of homelessness "Homelessness of youth and young adults in Poland" was developed. A pilot program of street work with so-called "experts by experience" was carried out and a training apartment for young people was launched. An important aspect of each of the activities carried out was to give voice and agency to the "experts by experience" (39 people) by involving them in the preparation of the report, sharing their insights among specialists and professionals working with youth, and supporting peers who are at the beginning of their journey to stabilize their life situation. As part of the project, three conferences were held for staff of social reintegration services, where the speakers were young people with experience of the homelessness crisis.
The project promoter succeeded in developing an innovative program to support young people in the crisis of homelessness. An important element of the project was the involvement of young people experiencing the homelessness crisis themselves (39 people) in designing solutions and working with the target group. 64 young people - living and/or working in public spaces - received support from a team of street workers, increased their social skills and improved their living conditions. The results of the survey were sent to institutions potentially interested in the topic, including the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, which assumed honorary patronage of the project.