Credit: Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU
On Monday 21 June 2021, Luxembourg's Minister for Family Affairs and Integration, Corinne Cahen, signed the Lisbon Declaration on the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness.
Minister Corinne Cahen took part (virtually) in a high-level conference in Lisbon (Portugal) yesterday. Co-organised by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), the European Commission and the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), this conference saw national ministers as well as representatives of EU institutions, civil society organisations, social partners and cities sign a declaration launching the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness.
Throughout the day, Luxembourg's Minister for Family Affairs and Integration took part in an exchange of testimonies, a ministerial debate and two round tables on the subject of successful national, regional and local approaches to combatting homelessness, as well as on the next steps and priorities in the fight against homelessness in Europe.
In her speech, Minister Corinne Cahen stressed the importance of tackling homelessness on different levels: "In its fight against homelessness, the Ministry for Family Affairs and Integration offers specialised infrastructures such as the 'Wanteraktioun' or the new night shelter for women, as well as 'housing first' and social housing for those in need".
By supporting mutual learning between policy makers and practitioners, the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness is designed to help exploit EU funding opportunities, strengthen evidence and monitoring of homelessness, disseminate and promote good practices and review progress towards ending homelessness by 2030 as set out in Principle 19 of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
