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This gap between EU resources available on the one hand, and the persistence of poverty and homelessness on the other hand, is what makes these figures more than an embarrassment: it raises them to the level of a human-rights crisis (Photo: Nick Fewings)

EU must treat homeless as rights-holders, not criminals

With a GDP-per-capita above €30,000, the European Union is one of the richest regions of the world, and its member states boast strong social programmes to support job-seekers and low-income families.

Yet, one fifth of the total population – totalling 91.4 million people – are still at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and access to housing remains difficult for many Europeans: at least 700,000 people sleep rough each night in th...

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Balakrishnan Rajagopal is the UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. Olivier De Schutter is the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Birgit Van Hout is the UN Human Rights Regional Representative for Europe.

This gap between EU resources available on the one hand, and the persistence of poverty and homelessness on the other hand, is what makes these figures more than an embarrassment: it raises them to the level of a human-rights crisis (Photo: Nick Fewings)

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Author Bio

Balakrishnan Rajagopal is the UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. Olivier De Schutter is the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Birgit Van Hout is the UN Human Rights Regional Representative for Europe.

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