| ISSN: | 1640-1808 |
RESEARCH PAPER
The Everyday Lives of Street Homeless People in the Context of Welfare Initiatives during the COVID-19 Pandemic
1
Wydział Filozoficzny, Instytut Socjologii, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Polska
Submission date: 2023-03-12
Final revision date: 2024-05-09
Acceptance date: 2024-05-14
Online publication date: 2024-09-16
Publication date: 2024-09-16
Corresponding author
Marcjanna Anna Nóżka
Wydział Filozoficzny, Instytut Socjologii, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, ul. Gołębia 24, 31-007, Kraków, Polska
Wydział Filozoficzny, Instytut Socjologii, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, ul. Gołębia 24, 31-007, Kraków, Polska
Problemy Polityki Społecznej 2024;67(4):1-19
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
discriminationhealth carenon-governmental organizationshousing policysocial policysocial assistancesocial workhuman rightscivil societysocial justicepovertypublic authorities
ABSTRACT
The article discusses the objectives and results of research seeking a better understanding of the everyday lives of street homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the context of welfare initiatives to support such individuals. The research, featuring interviews, took place in Krakow (Poland) between December 2020 and March 2021. Street homeless people were asked about changes in their everyday lives and whether they used any forms of support. To determine the response of institutions and state authorities to the situation of homeless people during the pandemic, interviews were held with experts and an analysis of the contents of official documents and press publications online was carried out. The analysis of materials was based on reduction, representation and formatting of data. The results of the research provided an insight into participants’ everyday lives and shed light on selected aspects of the operation of the welfare system during the pandemic. It was determined that, while welfare initiatives at a local level were innovative and actively reached those in need, the effectiveness of the system was limited. During the pandemic, problems evident beforehand – street homeless people’s lack of trust in the institutional welfare system, objectification and pretence of state action, inadequacies in intersectoral and interministerial cooperation – became particularly visible and acute.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank all the people whose support contributed to production of this
article, the head of the department for homeless people at the Municipal Social
Services Centre in Kraków, the streetworker, Karolina Gajda, participants in my
research, the language consultant and translator, Ben Koschalka.
REFERENCES (37)
1.
Adams, A.E., Parker, J., Jablonski, T., Kennedy, J., Hunter, D., Tasker, F., Smiles, C., Muir, C., Widnall, E., Dotsikas, K., Reed, Ch., Burrows, M., O’Donnell, A., Kaner, F. & Ramsay, E.S. (2021). It's been up and down”— perspectives on living through COVID-19 for individuals who experience homelessness: a qualitative study. The Lancet, 398(2), S6. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-....
2.
Baggett, T.P., Keyes, H., Sporn, N. & Gaeta, M.J. (2020). Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Residents of a Large Homeless Shelter in Boston. JAMA, 323, 2191–2192. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2....
3.
Banerjee, D. & Bhattacharya, P. (2020). The hidden vulnerability of homelessness in the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives from India. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1177/002076....
4.
Baptista, I. & Marlier, E. (2019). Fighting homelessness and housing exclusion in Europe. A study of national policies, European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.... (accessed 9 July 2021).
5.
Cendrowicz, D. (2017). Osoba bezdomna jako element społecznego otoczenia administracji publicznej. Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis, Przegląd Prawa i Administracji CXI Wrocław, 3802, 13-27. https://doi.org/10.19195/0137-....
6.
Culhane, D., Treglia, D., Steif, K., Kuhn, R. & Byrne, T. (2020). Estimated emergency and observational/quarantine capacity need for the U.S. homeless population related to COVID-19 exposure by county: Projected hospitalizations, intensive care units, and mortality. https://endhomelessness.org/wp... (accessed 10 May 2021).
7.
Eurostat (2017). Key figures of Europe, 2017 edition. Statistical Books. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
8.
Gontarek, L. (2020). O bezdomnych nikt nie pomyślał podczas pandemii koronawirusa. ‘Za chwilę będą zamarzać na ulicy’. Gazeta Wyborcza, 28 October 2020. https://lodz.wyborcza.pl/lodz/... (accessed 11 May 2021).
10.
Kaniasty, K.Z., Norris, F.H., Murrell, S.A. (1990). Received and perceived social support following natural disaster. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 20(2, Pt 1), 85–114. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559....
11.
Koronawirus wśród bezdomnych [Coronavirus among the homeless people] (2020). Gazeta Prawna, 7 November. https://praca.gazetaprawna.pl/... (accessed 9 May 2021).
12.
Kostrzyńska, M. (2018). Stowarzyszanie się „wykluczonych”. Przykład bezdomnych. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego.
13.
Lades, L., Martin, L. & Delaney, L. (2018). Informing Behavioural Policies with Data from Everyday Life. Behavioural Public Policy, 6(2), 172–190. https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.20....
14.
Lee, A. & Schreck, J.C. (2005). Danger on the Streets. Marginality and Victimization Among Homeless People. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(8), 1055–1081. https://doi.org/10.1177/000276....
15.
Lewer, D., Braithwaite, I., Bullock, M., Eyre, T.M., White, J.P., Aldridge, W.R., Story, A. & Hayward, C.A. (2020). COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness in England: a modelling study. The Lancet. Respiratory Medicine, 8, 1181–1191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-....
16.
Lutyński, J. (2018). Działania pozorne [Apparent Actions]. Kultura i Społeczeństwo, 2, 239–250. https://doi.org.10.35757/KiS.2....
17.
Maison, D. (2010). Jakościowe metody badań marketingowych, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
18.
Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M. (2000). Analiza danych jakościowych, przekład: S. Zabielski. Białystok: Trans Humana.
19.
Nowosielska, P. (2020). Bezdomni a koronawirus. ‘Siedzimy na bombie’. Gazeta Prawna, 28 October. Available at: https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wi..., bezdomni-koronawirus-noclegownie-testy.html (accessed 12 May 2021).
20.
Nóżka, M. (2014). Perspektywa poznawcza w badaniu wykluczenia społecznego. Terytorializm i kwestia zamieszkania ludzi bezdomnych. In M. Szpunar (ed.), Badania nad pracą socjalną. Stan i perspektywy. (412 – 423). Gdańsk: Wydawnictwo Anwi.
21.
Nóżka, M. (2016). Społeczne zamykanie (się) przestrzeni. O wykluczeniu, waloryzacji miejsca zamieszkania i jego mentalnej reprezentacji. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar.
22.
Nóżka, M. (2020). Rethinking homelessness. Residence and the sense of home in the experience of homeless people. Housing, Theory and Society, 37(4), 496-515. https://doi.org/10.1080/140360....
23.
Parsell, C., Clarke, A. & Kuskoff, E. (2023). Understanding responses to homelessness during COVID-19: an examination of Australia. Housing Studies, 38(1), 8–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/026730....
24.
Pazderski, F. (2018). Organizacje Obywatelskie w Polsce Wobec Wyzwań Społeczno-Politycznych i Nowych Trendów w Ich Rozwoju. In R. Boguszewski (ed.), Społeczeństwo Obywatelskie w Teorii i Praktyce. (105-122). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Szkoły Głównej Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego.
25.
Raport NIK [Supreme Audit Office Report] (2020). Działania wspierające i aktywizujące osoby bezdomne [Initiatives to support and activate homeless people]. Available at: https://www.nik.gov.pl/plik/id... (accessed 20 June 2021).
26.
Raport z ogólnopolskich badań liczby osób bezdomnych (2019). Ministerstwo Rodziny, Pracy i Polityki Społecznej [Report on Nationwide Polish Research on the Numbers of Homeless People]. Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. Available at: www.gov.pl/web/rodzina/wyniki-ogolnopolskiego-badania-liczby-osob-bezdomnych-edycja-2019 (accessed 12 May 2021).
27.
Robinson, D. & Coward, S. (2003). Your Place, Not Mine: The Experiences of Homeless People Staying with Family and Friends, Crisis, London.
28.
Sadler, R. (2020). Government to spend $100 million on housing the homeless in motels. Available at: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home... (accessed 12 May 2021).
29.
Schneider, L.T. (2022). ‘My Home is My People’ Homemaking Among Rough Sleepers in Leipzig, Germany. Housing Studies 37: 232-249. DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2020.1844157.
30.
Trębacka, K. (2020). Pandemia uderza w bezdomnych najmocniej. Już teraz boją się, co będzie jesienią, 25 July. Available at: https://kobieta.wp.pl/pandemia... (accessed 12 May 2021).
31.
Wasilewska-Ostrowska, K. M. (2020). Social Work with a Person in the Crisis of Homelessness in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland: Problems and Challenges, International Social Work, 63, 833–837.
32.
Wang, Y., Hua, Y., Zou, S., Deng, T., Chen, Y., Cao, W., Wu, Ch., Zhou, Y. & Zou, H. (2021). The Homeless People in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Victims of the Strict Pandemic Control Measures of the Government. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 679429. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.....
33.
Wasilewska-Ostrowska, K.M. (2020). Social Work with a Person in the Crisis of Homelessness in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland: Problems and Challenges. International Social Work, 63, 833–837. https://doi.org.10.1177/002087....
34.
Wołodźko, K. (2020). Boję się, że za chwilę bezdomni będą hejtowani. Tygodnik Spraw Obywatelskich, 10 April, 14. Available at: https://instytutsprawobywatels... (accessed 26 June 2021).
35.
World Health Organization (1992). Psychosocial Consequences of Disasters. Prevention and Management. WHO, Division of Mental Health, Geneva.
36.
Wroczyńska, M. (2020). Bezdomni zagubieni w pandemii. NGO.pl, 14 April. Available at: https://publicystyka.ngo.pl/be... (accessed 10 May 2021).
37.
Zinn, J. (2013). ‘Risk, Social Inclusion and the Life Course – Review of Developments in Policy and Research’, Social Policy and Society, 12, 2, 319-333.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| ISSN: | 1640-1808 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
