Systemic solutions to homelessness and defending the rights of homeless people

Homelessness in Slovakia remains a critical yet systematically neglected issue. Despite the adoption of the first National Strategy for Homelessness Prevention and Ending in 2024, implementation faces significant barriers: fragmented policies, insufficient coordination between state and local authorities, lack of evidence-based decision-making, and persistent violations of homeless people's dignity and rights. The root causes are systemic. Housing affordability has deteriorated sharply, with social housing comprising less than 2% of housing stock. Administrative barriers prevent homeless individuals from accessing service. Without permanent residence registration, people cannot obtain ID cards, access healthcare, or receive social benefits. Equally pressing is the ongoing violence and discrimination against homeless people in public spaces and shopping centers.

During summer and winter months, conflicts escalate as property owners and security services forcibly remove rough sleepers without offering alternatives. These incidents violate fundamental human rights and deepen social exclusion.

The project addresses these challenges through three interconnected approaches: influencing national policy through active participation in Action Plan development, improving local welfare efficiency through rigorous analysis, and protecting homeless people's rights through preventive tools and rapid response mechanisms.

The target group (homeless individuals) faces compounded disadvantages. Without systemic intervention, they remain trapped in cycles of poverty, excluded from healthcare, employment, and housing. Secondary beneficiaries include public officials and social sector professionals who lack evidence-based tools for effective policy-making.

The project implements seven interconnected activities between May 2026 and April 2027, combining policy participation, analytical work, practical tools, and public engagement.

In the area of policy participation, Vagus will actively contribute to implementing the 2026 Action Plan and co-creating the 2027-2030 Action Plan, both derived from the National Strategy. This includes participating in working groups, submitting expert opinions, and advocating for measures addressing housing accessibility and administrative barrier removal.

The analytical work comprises two evidence-based analyses. The first examines municipal welfare allowances in Bratislava districts, focusing on accessibility, amounts, proactive communication, and linkage to support services, with replicable recommendations for other municipalities. The second, developed in partnership with the National Bank of Slovakia's Structural Analysis Department, assesses selected social interventions' impact on public finances, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of social services.

A practical manual for developers, municipalities, and other stakeholders will provide guidance on handling illegal occupation of public and private land while respecting homeless people's dignity, offering alternative solutions, and preventing conflicts.

Throughout the project, Vagus will also respond to incidents of violence or discrimination against homeless people through de escalation meetings, communication training for involved parties, and strategic media engagement when necessary.

In November 2026, an expert conference organized as part of the Night Outside awareness event will present findings, recommendations, and best practices in housing and healthcare for homeless populations.

The direct outputs include two analytical reports, one practical manual, one conference proceedings publication, one co-created Action Plan for 2027-2030, and a minimum of three documented reactive interventions addressing rights violations.

The primary beneficiaries are homeless people, those at risk of housing loss, and individuals living in extreme poverty. The project improves their situation indirectly but substantially through systemic changes—better designed welfare allowances, reduced administrative barriers, strengthened rights protection, and policies informed by their lived realities.

Secondary beneficiaries include public officials at national and municipal levels, social sector professionals, developers, and civil society organizations who gain evidence-based tools, practical guidelines, and strengthened partnerships for more effective interventions.

At the policy level, the 2027-2030 Action Plan will incorporate Vagus's recommendations on housing, healthcare, and administrative simplification, while analytical findings will inform municipal budget decisions and welfare system redesign with potential for nationwide replication.

Institutionally, Vagus strengthens its position as a legitimate expert partner in policy-making, transitioning from service provider to recognized advocacy actor and developing sustainable capacity for ongoing monitoring, analysis, and policy influence extending beyond the project duration.

At the practical level, the developer manual becomes a reference document for handling sensitive situations involving rough sleepers, reducing conflicts and rights violations, while reactive interventions establish precedents for protecting homeless people's dignity.

The conference outputs and published analyses contribute to professional discourse by sharing verified practices and data driven recommendations across the social sector.

These results remain relevant through 2030, aligned with the National Strategy timeline and Lisbon Declaration commitments, creating mechanisms for sustained advocacy that ensure homeless people's voices influence policies affecting their lives.