European homelessness is rising due to housing shortages and economic instability; data collection lacks uniformity.
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The European homelessness project “Pulsas” examines the homelessness situation across various European countries, including Lithuania, and the solutions being implemented to help people return to stable lives. Homelessness is increasing across much of Europe, with dramatic rises in some countries; for instance, in the UK and France, the number of people without permanent housing has doubled over the last decade, and in Slovakia, it has tripled. In 2023, the UK had the highest number of homeless people among EU countries, followed by France, Czechia, Germany, and Ireland. While some countries like Portugal and Spain report lower rates, the overall scale of homelessness is dynamic and depends on individual circumstances.
A unified methodology to accurately measure homelessness across Europe is lacking, and statistics often only capture visible forms of homelessness. In Lithuania, official statistics from 2024 show 2,341 people in shelters, but experts note this does not reflect the full reality, as it excludes those sleeping on the streets or in unsafe temporary accommodations.
In Lithuania, targeted help includes shelters, soup kitchens, and programs like “Housing First,” which aims to support long-term homeless individuals. While shelters provide basic needs, experts caution that they are not a complete solution, and the problem is fundamentally structural, linked to issues like housing shortages.
In Italy, homelessness is rising, projected to exceed 120,000 in 2025, driven by rising rents, cost of living increases, and economic fallout from the pandemic. A major structural issue in Italy is the scarcity of social housing, with only about 4% of housing being social housing. Overall, FEANTSA identifies key causes of homelessness as the lack of affordable housing, insufficient social benefits, economic uncertainty, and a tendency for political solutions to be short-term rather than addressing root causes.
