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Presentation given by Guillem Fernàndez, Associacio ProHabitatge and Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain at a FEANTSA Research Conference on "Homelessness and Poverty", Paris, France, 2009
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POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS
AND FREEDOM
“The residential well-being space for immigration. An approach from the standpoint of capabilities”
Homelessness and Poverty in Europe
- International and European Perspectives -
Paris Friday 18 September 2009
Guillem Fernàndez Evangelista
Associació ProHabitatge – Autonomous University of Barcelona
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
FOCUS ON CAPABILITIES WHEN ANALYSING POVERTY AND
HOMELESSNESS
THE HOME AND THE CHAIN OF SUSTAINABILITY OF HUMAN
NEEDS
THE RESIDENTIAL WELL-BEING SPACE APPLIED TO
IMMIGRATION IN SPAIN
CONCLUSIONS
SECTION 1:
CAPABILITY APPROACH
POVERTY – SOCIAL EXCLUSION – HOMELESSNESS
4
The essential concepts of the theory are mutually
conditioning, although one does not necessarily lead to the other.
THE CAPABILITY APPROACH (Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum)
Entitlements
Satisfiers
Capabilities
Functionings
Endowments
Based on Jurgen Schuldt (1998)
POVERTY, SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN TERMS OF CAPABILITIES
5
POVERTY Poverty as capability deprivation (that is, poverty seen as the lack of the capability to live a minimally decent life). Poverty is not only a lack of income or of goods and services. What’s most important is the potential to achieve coverage and expansion of people’s capabilities. SOCIAL EXCLUSION Manifests a failing in people’s capability to achieve the desired goals in their lives. It is a particular way of depriving one of one’s capabilities, specifically relational ones. The importance of the concept of social exclusion is not that it is a new way of thinking about poverty; rather, social exclusion is a part of poverty, understood as being stripped of capabilities, and as the origin of other deprivations of capabilities. The novelty lies in highlighting the relational roots of poverty. FREEDOM Freedom in terms of capabilities refers to the degree to which a person is free to choose specific levels of functionings. The freedom of a person to choose between different lifestyles. But also, at the same time, freedom in itself. One thing is the opportunities offered by freedom, and another is the processes through which freedom is materialised.
HOW IS HOMELESSNESS DEFINED IN TERMS OF CAPABILITIES?
6
WHAT IS A HOME IN TERMS OF CAPABILITIES? The concept of home is a construct of each person, and it is understood as a person’s ability to choose the type of home they value, but defined by the set of opportunities from which to choose, i.e. the freedom that the person actually has. We understand the concept of home based on what each person contributes when the space is “inhabited”, and also what the habitation brings to is. HOME AS MIDFARE Midfare is the states of persons caused by goods. Capabilities are viewed as “skills for certain basic things”, and in addition, “the other things that goods can do for people besides providing capabilities”. Goods do various types of things for people:
- They give them capabilities that can be used (or not). - They contribute to the performance of valuable activities and to achieving desirable states. - They prompt other desirable states directly, without the need for their beneficiaries to exercise any capabilities.
A satisfier satisfies more than one need at a time
HOW IS HOMELESSNESS DEFINED IN TERMS OF CAPABILITIES?
7
WHEN DOES A HOME NOT EXIST? A person can find himself in different situations of homelessness when there are obstacles to achieving the functionings that provide well-being (or a home). For example:
Very low endowments
Problems in the rules of access for satisfiers
Lack of satisfiers (or of adequate satisfiers)
Lack of capabilities
Lack of freedom
A RESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE THEORY OF CAPABILITIES
8
Purchasing
Power
Housing Rights
Non
Discrimination
Housing
Social Housing
Shelters
Keeping
Housing inadequate condition
Home
Legacies
Endowments Entitlements Satisfiers Capabilities Functionings
Homeless
SECTION 2:
THE HOME AND THE CHAIN OF SUSTAINABILITY OF HUMAN
NEEDS
THE CHAIN OF SUSTAINABILITY OF HUMAN NEEDS (Enric Tello)
Where are the satisfaction of people’s needs sustained?
10
MARKET
STATE
COMMUNITY
FAMILY
NATURAL SYSTEM
HOUSING MARKET
POLICY AND
LAWS: HOUSING…
COMPATRIOTS
NGOs NEIGHBOURHOOD FEDS.
PERSONALGROWTH
HEAT, COLD, WATER,
CLIMATE
THE WELL-BEING SPACE
MARKETS
STATE
COMMUNITY
FAMILY
NATURAL
SYSTEMS
Purchaising pow.
Human Rights
Reciprocal neighbourlin
Biased reciprocity
Housing, rooms
Social housing
Mutual Support
Love, care...
Resources Services
Property or free acces
WE
LL-B
EIN
G OR
LA
CK T
HE
RE O
F C
ap
ab
ilities a
nd fu
nctio
nnin
gs
SATISFIERS SUSTAINABILITY CHAIN ENTITLEMENTS
MIDFARE
Social milieu enabling the development of different ways of designing life
11
PART 3:THE RESIDENTIAL WELL-BEING
SPACE APPLIED TO IMMIGRATION IN SPAIN
POVERTY TRENDS IN SPAIN. FOESSA (2008)
13
Downward trend of monetary poverty from 1973 to 1990.
Halt in the decline in poverty during the first half of the 1990s.
This change occurs in a context of economic growth.
Poverty in Spain continues to be high at 19.5%. ECV (2006)
There is a segment of extreme poverty ranging from 2.6% to 4% of the population, as considered respectively, 25% or 30% of the adjusted mean income.
IMMIGRATION
- The poverty rates among immigrants are considerably higher than among Spaniards.
- The poverty rates among non-European immigrants are very high. - The severe poverty rates among immigrants approaches 20% of the total immigrant
households.
14
IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN SPAIN. FOESSA (2008)
Half of all homeless people are foreigners, although in many cases we find seasonal workers; the profile of a destructured person is not as common.
One out of every three prisoners is foreign. Importance of the characteristics of the
Spanish sentencing system and international criminal networks.
A growing share of single-parent households and of women who are victims of gender violence.
A significant share of youths at risk of exclusion.
Increase in mental illness as a result of the tensions generated by the migratory
process. Creation of a specific pathology: “Ulysses syndrome”.
A majority of the prostitution in Spain comes from abroad. The Gypsy community has also felt the effect of immigration by the Romani
communities from Eastern Europe.
15
HOUSING MARKET:
OWNER / RENT ROOMS
HOUSING POLICY AND REGULATIONS,
SOCIAL SERVICES
MACRO LEVEL
MARKET- Housing prices are estimated to have risen 86.4% from 1997 to 2001, while wages increased only 15%.
- The number of dwellings built in 2005 reached 800,000 (FR + GR + UK).
- Between 1991 – 2001 vacant dwellings increased 25.5%.
TYPES OF TENURE (%)
45,9
51,963,4
73,1 78,3 82
51,3
41,3 30,120,8 15,2 11,5
0
20
40
60
80
100
1950 1960 1970 1981 1991 2001
Owned Rented
IMMIGRATION AND HOUSING. COLECTIVO IOE (2005)
16
As opposed to the local-born population, the majority of which are homeowners, foreign residents live mostly in rental dwellings.
OWNED AND RENTED HOUSING ACCORDING TO NATIONALITY BY REGOINS OF ORIGIN (2001. CENSUS)
0
25
50
75
100
Spain
EU - 15
Easte
rn E
urope
Africa
Latin
Am
eric
a
Oth
er C
ountries
Owned
Rented
IMMIGRATION AND HOUSING. COLECTIVO IOE (2005)
17
Basic utilities and appliances (electric power, running water, bath with bathtub or shower, kitchen and refrigerator) are enjoyed by more than 96% of inmigrants from peripheral countries. Therefore, the vast majority are covered for these basic services, though often shared with other members living in the same household.
The immigrant population lives in far smaller dwellings than the local-born population,
with overcrowding being far more common among the former (19%) than the latter (2.5%).
HOUSING OCCUPANCY OF THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION FROM PERIPHERAL COUNTRIES LIVING IN CITIES
5%12,9%
30,4%
47,2%
4,5%
Owners
Independent tenants
Sublet tenants
Employer home
Other situation
IMMIGRATION AND HOUSING. COLECTIVO IOE (2005)
18
STATE The investment in social protection allocated to Housing and Social Exclusion is less
than half that of the European average Social housing in proportion to free housing declined sharply, particularly rental social
housing. SOCIAL HOUSING IN RELATION AVAILABLE HOUSING (Finished Units)
0
100.000
200.000
300.000
400.000
500.000
600.000
700.000
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Free Housing Social Housing
19
SEGMENTATION OF THE HOUSING MARKET
- The distribution of rental housing has an effect on the distribution of the population.
- Lower-income families cannot access home ownership status = Concentration of economic poverty in city areas with highest rental rates.
- Rex and Moore (1967) “Housing classes” (social classes defined by the dwellings in which they live)
COMMUNITY MESO LEVEL
SPATIAL CONCENTRATION OF INEQUALITY IN SPANISH CITIES Approximately one out of every four people residing in Spanish municipalities with populations over 20,000 inhabitants lives in underprivileged neighbourhoods. That is, 4-5 million people, accounting for more than 12% of Spain’s population, live their lives in urban areas where difficult social situations are concentrated. RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION AND CAPABILITIES “Residential segregation” is an element that affects the community and determines the forms of entry and exit, both of public and market goods and services. That is, they affect the entitlements and satisfiers of the Well-being Space, which generates signs that Residential Segregation deteriorates community life and the collective capability for action, being associated with violence and mistrust.
Source: IMMIGRATION AND HOUSING. COLECTIVO
IOE (2005)
20
FAMILY MICRO LEVEL
CAPABILITIES AND ACCESS TO HOUSING - Legal irregularity or precariousness - Lack of information - Lack of support networks - Lack of guarantees, payroll vouchers and employment contracts - Shortage or uncertainty of income
USE OF SATISFIER DEPENDING ON ITS NATURE Those living in subleasing or single-room rental situations have breakfast, lunch or dinner less often at home than those with independent rental agreements or home owners. The same occurs with sleeping hours.
WOMEN AND HOUSEWORK AS MEANS OF SUSTAINING NEEDS 70% of immigrant women state that they do household chores on a daily basis, a proportion that approaches 100% among women who consider themselves to be “homemakers” as their principal activity or who have under-age children. The women who do the least housework are students (36%) and those living in subleasing arrangements (43%).
HOMELESS PEOPLE ATTENDED BY CENTRES The population group most frequently attended were immigrants (62.7% of the total. INE.08)
21
LAND, WATER, ELECTRICITY, FOOD,
CLIMATE BASIC LEVEL
Danger. Threats or dangers that form a part of the normal functioning of natural systems.
Vulnerability. Expresses the exposure of human elements to dangerous phenomena.
Situations of risk are far greater when we are in homeless situations.
The death of people due to food-related problems is not common in European
countries, but the death of homeless people, and particular of people in roofless situations, is not uncommon as they are more exposed to natural risks than others.
In Spain, in the year 2009 to date at least 55 homeless people have died, 7 of them
from exposure to the cold (ENRED Indicator. 2009. Unofficial data).
CONCLUSIONS
22
Understanding poverty as a lack of capabilities makes it possible to study homelessness from another perspective.
The residential well-being space offers a very broad work space for studying
homelessness. It can become a methodological approach integrating the various approaches currently being used.
From the capabilities perspective (being - doing), homeless people suffer from
different degrees of lack of freedom. Government policy should be based on the capabilities perspective both in defining
and assessing policies, i.e. they should be as adapted as possible to the situations of each individual.
Immigrants have become the “new poor” in Spain and have changed the profile of
homelessness.
The blocking of human expression capabilities of immigrants in the different links of the sustainability chain can explain why they suffer situations of homelessness.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Associació ProHabitatge
Professor Enric Tello Aragay (University of Barcelona)
FEANTSA
European Network of Housing Research W.G
Guillem Fernàndez Evangelista
Associació ProHabitatge
Autonomous University of Barcelona
Email: [email protected]