Hosts
FEANTSA - European federation of national organisations working with the homeless www.feantsa.org
HABITACT - European exchange forum on local homeless strategies www.habitact.eu

Context
Since 2010, the Europe 2020 Strategy, with its target of lifting 20 million people out of poverty, has revised the antipoverty policy context at EU level, and the repeated calls from the EU institutions place homelessness firmly on the EU agenda as a key priority (see June 2012 Council Conclusions). As social policy schemes come under financial pressure, the need for well-targeted investments is increasing. The EU has highlighted the funding of social services as a social investment which reconciles both social goals (addressing social risks and implementing human rights) and economic goals (promoting employability and cost-effectiveness). While the European Parliament has already taken position on this, the European Commission has just published a proposal for a Social Investment Pact to address these issues.

Seminar objectives
1. To launch a debate on social investment among practitioners driving social policy innovation in the field of homelessness.
2. To demonstrate the social, economic and innovative value of tackling homelessness, with concrete/practical information for local organisations attending the seminar.