Counting the homeless in Austria

1. Counting the homeless in Austria Ministry of Social Affairs and BAWO (Austrian Headorganisation of service providers for the homeless) BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

2. Design: • Research with Service Providers • Services for the homeless (provisions of accomodation) • Non-accomodating Services for the homeless (night shelters, consultancy services, outreach, streetwork) • Questionnaire • Evaluation of statistical data (BMJ, Statistik Austria, EU-SILC) • 3 Workshops • Compare models of Vienna – Linz – Innsbruck • Regionalisation in NÖ – OÖ – Vlbg • Standards of services BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

3. Categories BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

4. Questionnaire • In-Patient Services (including accomodation) • Annual Statistics 2006 • Key-period December 2007 • Out-patient Services (no accomodation) • Annual Statistics 2006 • Key-period December 2007 • Adjacent Services • Annual Statistics 2006 • Key-period December 2007 • Prevention of Evictions • Annual Statistics 2008 • Key-period December 2007 BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

5. Motives behind the study • To count the homeless • To find data for planning • To compare the efforts of the provincial / municipal administrations • To give incentives to improve the quantity and quality of services in the provinces and municipalities • A possibility to co-finance BAWO as an overhead organisation BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

6. Problems of the study • Collecting data was a very long process • Comparability of data was difficult • Combination of data from annual survey with key day survey (elimination of double counts) • Study period was extended, inflow of additional data of next annual survey (evictions, EU-SILC) • Re-Arrangement of data according to Ethos • Need of Agreement of all Provinces (the political aim was more profound than the scientific aim) • Time schedule was paralleled by mphasis BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

7. Qualitative aspects • The survey was intended to collect data • Numbers of homeless people • Categories of homelessness • Profile of homeless people • Urban and rural regions (difference in provisions and acceptance) • The survey was intended to motivate for improvements (3 workshops) • Create standards BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

8. Results BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

9. No (too little) information • On rough sleepers • On people who do not use services • On people in precarious accomodation • On double counts BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

10. For the next survey • Combine data from services with data from census • Compare annual counts to key-day counts • Organize data-collection along with Ethos • Include data from releasing institutions • Propose a counting system (combatible, comparable, comprehensive) in advance BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner

11. Thank you for your attention • BAWO: www.bawo.at • Gerichtsgasse 3/2/3 • 1210 Wien • Mo - Th 9 to 12 h, We also 13 - 16 hTel:  +43 1 812 72 02 Mobil: +43 680 21 28 503 E-Mail: office@bawo.at • Speaker: Sepp Ginner • seppginner@mvnet.at BAWO-Survey on Homelessness in Austria 2006/2008 Sepp Ginner