When the term “homeless person” is mentioned, most of us imagine someone sitting on a bench or sleeping on the street. However, this group includes many more people who live in various, often insecure housing conditions. According to the European ETHOS typology, people experiencing homelessness are not only those we meet on the street, but also those who live in shelters, crisis centers, with friends or relatives, those facing eviction, or those living in informal settlements or substandard conditions.
At the DEDO Foundation and All for family, n.o., we work daily with people in various forms of homelessness. We know that health issues are one of the most significant barriers preventing them from improving their living situation.
To better understand what people with experiences of homelessness truly need and to subsequently adapt healthcare and social services, we started mapping the needs in Košice and Prešov. For this purpose, a questionnaire was created in collaboration with our partner organization, the Metropolitan Research Institute (MRI). After creating the questionnaire, we reached out to various facilities in both cities to begin the needs mapping.
What are we asking and why are we doing it?
The goal of the questionnaire is to obtain the most accurate picture of:
- the most common health problems that people experiencing homelessness face,
- whether and how they have access to healthcare,
- what is most lacking in the healthcare system – from finances to trust,
- their experiences and needs in terms of social services.
Our goal is not only to record the current situation but also to understand the stories and needs behind each response.
Why health matters?
For many people experiencing homelessness, health is the cornerstone without which they cannot move forward. Untreated chronic conditions, mental health struggles, addictions, as well as neglected injuries or pain reduce the quality of life and the ability to address other areas of life, such as employment and relationships. Many people in vulnerable situations, however, do not seek help in time, either due to fear, distrust, or negative past experiences with the healthcare system.
Mapping health needs is just the beginning. We believe that everyone – regardless of where they currently live – should have access to dignified and sensitive healthcare. To ensure this, we must first understand what people experiencing homelessness truly need. And that is why we ASK. We LISTEN. And then we ACT.