1) The document summarizes studies conducted annually since 2008 on mapping the homeless population in Amsterdam during winter frost periods. 2) Interviews were conducted in shelters and additional beds were provided. The homeless population averaged 41 years old and mostly male. About 1/3 had been homeless less than a year. 3) Conclusions showed the number of European migrants had stabilized but most were recent arrivals. There was an increase in rough sleeping and social problems remained common, especially for EU migrants. Medical problems like heroin/cocaine use decreased while alcohol problems did not.

1. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Mapping the homeless
population in Amsterdam
Matty de Wit,
Marcel Buster, Mariëtte Hensen
Municipal Health Service Amsterdam.

2. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Policy and shelter in Amsterdam
 Sleeping locations of the homeless in Amsterdam
1. Rough sleepers, improvised shelters
2. Night shelters
3. 24-hour shelters
4. Protected housing
 Residential homeless (3,4): well mapped
 Actual homeless (1, 2): largely unknown
 Policy:
 With connection to city: integrated care plans and stable
shelter or housing
 No connection to the city: repatriation,
 or when self-sufficient: survival on their own means

3. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Periods of frost
 Night shelters accessible to everyone, free of charge
 Additional shelter-beds: capacity adapted to
demand
 Rough sleepers actively guided towards shelters
 Majority of the actual homeless/roofless are inside
 Research opportunity

4. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Aims of the study
 Describing size and characteristics of the homeless
population
 Estimating the number of people that are sleeping
rough

5. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Methods
 Short interviews
 in all night-shelters with 20 volunteers
 Structured questionnaire
 2 nights during the first week of the frost period
 Registrations of all shelters (regular and additional)
during the entire frost period.
 Studies performed every year since 2008/2009

6. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Use of the additional beds
In addition to 150-200 regular shelter beds
122
178
240 241 214
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
nrofnights
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
nrofpersons
duration frost period
average nr persons per night
maximum nr persons per night
total nr of persons in period

7. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
General description
 Average age 41 years
 Mainly men (91-96%)
 Sleep outside 25-33% of nights in a month
 Less than 1 yr homeless: ~33%
 Less than 1 yr in Amsterdam: ~25%
 Connection with Amsterdam: ~50%
 Every year ~ 85% is new

8. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Country of origin
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013
outside EU
New EU member states
Old EU member states
Netherlands

9. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
EU-migrants
 New in Adam
 Official connection to the city
Dutch Old EU New EU No EU
<1 yr 13% 41% 60% 23%
Dutch Old EU New EU No EU
Connect. 68% 30% 13% 61%

10. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
EU migrants
Sleep more rough and less in shelters
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Dutch old EU new EU no EU
other
shelter
rough

11. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Social problems
 No income: 36%
 No insurance: 48%
 Detention past yr: 45%

12. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Social problems
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
no income no insurance detention
Dutch
old EU
new EU
no EU

13. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Social problems over time
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
no income no insurance detention
2008/2009
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013

14. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Medical problems
 Alcohol: 20%
 Drugs: 16% heroine/cocaine;
22% cannabis
 Psychiatry: 28% (based on care use)
 No medical problem: 48%

15. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Medical problems
0,0
20,0
40,0
60,0
80,0
psychiatry
alcohol
heroine/cocaine
no
problem
Dutch
old EU
new EU
no EU

16. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Medical problems over time
0
20
40
60
80
psychiatry
alcohol
heroine/cocaine
no
m
edical problem
2008/2009
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013

17. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
Conclusions
 Age and gender remain fairly stable
 The increase in European migrants seems to have stabilized
 Most are recent arrivals in the homeless scene in Amsterdam
 Increase in rough sleeping
 Social problems
 remain frequent.
 EU-migrants have more social problems
 Medical problems:
 A decrease in heroine/cocaine use
 Less frequent in EU migrants, except for alcohol

18. EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Housing First. What’s Second?
Berlin, 20th September 2013
In relation for policies
 With a connection and multiproblems: Integratedcare, residential
housing
 This study: the group not in residential facilities and mostly without
an integrated care plan
 Population still includes a group that fits the criteria of the
integrated care plans (medical problems; connection to the city)
 Drop-out, care-avoidance, influx
 Those without a connection
 Large part EU migrants
 More social and slightly less medical problems
 More rough sleeping
 Highly dynamic