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HomeLab project has come to an end in September 2019. The three year project combined integrated support services for vulnerable groups with the analysis and evaluation of innovative service provision. The project’s closing conference was organised in Budapest by consortium coordinator Metropolitan Research Institute in 26-27 September. Presenters and participants gathered from the Visegrad countries, the European Commission, and beyond.

On the conference, the project coordinators and the chief methodology expert of Budapest Institute presented the conceptual and methodological underpinning of the project, while the representatives of pilot implementer NGOs reflected on the activities, challenges, and the various service provision models they established over the past years. Thematic sessions addressed innovation in housing and employment, integrated social service provision, and the lessons learned for public policy on the local and national levels – and recommendations for the EU scale.

The detailed summary of the sessions, with the key lessons, recommendations summarized, and some additional photos was sent out in the project’s final Newsletter to key dissemination partners, among them members of HomeLab’s Advisory Board. The Newsletter is also available for the general public – click here to download.

As the end of HomeLab draws near, National Policy Workshops were organised in the four Visegrad countries to disseminate results, and share policy challenges and proposals with key actors and decision makers. The workshops organised in June 2019 in Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw attracted 50-100 participants each, including ministry officials and other public sector representatives from local and national scales. Pilot implementers involved key project partners from the civil society and private sectors.

The workshops helped draw professional and media attention on the project, and on the issues it addresses. It also gave opportunity to present the multi-stakeholder networks that the complex integrated service provision pilots necessitated, involving private employers and public bodies, as well as NGOs and church based charity organisations across a territory. Presenters also called for policy changes. The four Visegrad countries – Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – are all post-socialist EU member states, with some shared heritage, and post-transition welfare provision systems, in which numerous issues must be addressed. The workshops allowed to initiate discussion among national stakeholders, and foster the dialogue between national level decision makers on the one hand, and providers and other practitioners on the other.

Finally, the events served prepare for HomeLab’s closing conference, foreseen for late September 2019 in Budapest. On this event, refined and further elaborated recommendations and proposed policy modifications are planned to be presented before an international audience, among which EU representatives.

A summary of the four workshops was distributed among interested parties, especially the Advisory Board members of HomeLab, to support dissemination among professionals, practitioners, and decision makers. The Newsletter is also available for the general public – click here to download.

Daniel Bakeš presented HomeLab, and Romodrom’s pilot, on EURoma Network’s European Seminar, titled “Using ESI Funds to prodive adequate housing solutions for Roma families” on 20-21 November 2018 in Madrid, Spain.

Bakeš presented Romodrom’s effort in moving low income, marginalized families from substandard and extremely unfavourable housing conditions to decent quality, affordable rental homes in the framework of the Czech HomeLab pilot. He described the logic of integrated service provision to vulnerable clients, connecting housing services with individualized support in securing gainful employment, and providing intensive social work to help the sustainable social integration of the excluded families.

The two-day seminar was combined with a Network Management Committee meeting. It gathered EURoma Network partners, among which public authorities managing ESI Funds (Managing Athorities, Intermediary Bodies and other relevant actors), representatives of National Roma contact Points from ten EU countries, as well as other relevant bodies at European and national level.

Besides Bakeš, Jan Milota of the Czech Roma advocacy NGO I.Q. Roma servis also presented on a flagship Housing First project, benefitting both Roma and non-Roma families in Brno, in cooperation with the city municipality. Katalin Utasi, of the Pécs branch of Hungarian Maltese Charity Service (a counterpart of Veszprém HCSOM in HomeLab) addressed the challenges of a Roma integration project in Pécs, Hungary, describing the importance of soft components.

Thanks to social investors and charity donations, the From Streets to Homes Association bought a plot in Budapest, where settlement of mobiles homes has just started in January 2018. Another land is to be purchased as soon as the association found an ideal-one. The mobile homes provide safe, long-term and affordable rental housing for households who previously lived in shacks. The second hand (thus much cheaper) homes will be adapted to the Hungarian climate (thus receive isolation) and will be connected to the water, sewage and electric network.  The rent payed by the new clients of ULE will provide a possibility to enlarge the mobile-home stock of the association.

 

 

In the following weeks we are going to publish short case studies to illustrate how the HomeLab pilots are working in practice. At this time, Romodrom provided as a short resume how one of their clients’ housing and employment situation was improved.

The client contacted the organisation for the first time at the beginning of the year 2017. He looked for an accommodation after his release from prison and expressed the will to find a job too. He also had to solve his debt situation.

Within a month after his release, the social workers succeeded to find him a place in the Hostel in K. (see picture). The principle of the stay in the hostel is an intensive cooperation with the social service focused on the stabilization of the client’s income. The client shall be able to pay himself for his living costs during the period of three months.

Romodrom’s partner in the field of employment is a logistic company Serena Logistic. The client was prepared for the job interview and thanks to his strong motivation and previous experience he obtained a well paid job as a driver. His income enables him to pay off the debts and cover the living costs.

As the client has a stable job he started to be able to look for a standard living. Social workers from Romdorom in cooperation with the client found a standard rental housing in Pardubice. The client moved there and is able to live an independent life.