Data collection on homelessness in statistical offices in France

1. Data collection on homelessness in statistical offices in France 1. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) 2. Statistical Office of the Ministry of Social Affairs (DREES) 3. Other official data

2. INSEE - Census - National survey of users of accommodation and hot meal distribution services (SD2001, next SD2012) - Methodological survey on rough sleepers SA2009 - Housing survey for people accommodated by family or friends 1996, 2002 DREES - Survey of Social Establishments since 1983 (ES survey : last ES2004, next ES2008) INSEE and DREES

3. The French Census • The 1999 Census was the last to enumerate the entire population simultaneously • Since 2004, the census is an annual survey • Not everyone is enumerated at the same time. Two categories of places of residence: • Municipalities of <10,000 inhabitants • Municipalities of 10,000 inhabitants or more

4. Municipalities of <10,000 inhabitants • One fifth of the total number of municipalities in this size category are surveyed each year • For a given municipality, a comprehensive census every fifth year • Conventional dwellings are surveyed exhaustively in January-February of that year; people sleeping rough and mobile homes the first two days of the data collection; people in institutions in March of the same year

5. Municipalities of 10,000 inhabitants and over • Conventional dwellings: each year, about 8% of the population surveyed in January-February • People sleeping rough, people living in mobile homes: comprehensively enumerated the first two days of the census surveys, every five years starting in 2006 (2011, etc.), in all large municipalities at the same time • People in institutions: all institutions of the same municipality are enumerated every five years, except for some municipalities where the number of institutions is very large and one fifth is enumerated each year.

6. The homeless in the census • People defined as « usually » sleeping rough • People accommodated by services in hotels or conventional dwellings (apartments) • People accommodated in collective shelters and hostels • Short stay • Long stay

7. People defined as « usually » sleeping rough • Comprehensively enumerated by municipalities in the first two days of the dwelling census surveys, the year of the dwelling census in small municipalities, in 2006 (2011, etc.) for the large ones • In 2006 homeless agencies have been consulted and this should be resumed in 2011 • 2006 estimate: 13,700 in metropolitan France

8. People accommodated in hotels or conventional dwellings (apartments) by NGOs or other agencies • In hotel rooms: if for a short period, they should be enumerated with people sleeping rough (in theory); if on a permanent basis (for a long stay), they are enumerated with people who have payed for their room, if their address is sampled, and cannot be distinguished from other people living in a hotel • In apartments: cannot be distinguished from other people living in conventional dwellings

9. Homeless people accommodated in collective shelters and hostels • Enumerated at the time of the collective accommodation survey (in March) • Only people in short stay shelters can be distinguished in the results • People in long-stay hostels are in one category with other long-stay institutions (retirement homes, long-stay medical centres, etc.) • Possible modification for improvement: to collect data in institutions and on the street at the same time (to avoid double counting)

10. Other non conventional dwellings • Shanties, etc. • In smaller municipalities, they are enumerated in the dwelling census • In larger municipalities, if their address is listed in the repertory of adresses (the RIL), which is the sample frame for the census, they are enumerated (if selected) with the conventional dwellings; if their address is not listed, they are enumerated as rough sleepers.

11. Limits and advantages of the census • People in long stay hostels, as well as in hotels or flats provided by accommodation services cannot be distinguished from people in similar housing situations (other long stay collective accommodation, hotels or flats rented by the person) but not homeless • Double counting and underestimates for the most precarious situations (sleeping rough, shanties), heterogeneity of the data collection for the rough sleepers • But : estimate for large municipalities every fifth year

12. Other INSEE and DREES surveys

13. National surveys on homelessness conducted by INSEE • First survey in 2001, next one in 2012 • Survey of users of accommodation and hot meal distribution services (a detailed questionnaire, 920 variables) • Rough sleepers defined not by their usual situation as in the census but by the one the night before the survey • Metropolitan France, Paris metropolitan area, other cities of 20,000 inhabitants and over taken together • A methodological survey in 2009, in Toulouse, to prepare the 2012 survey and ensure the maximum coverage of rough sleepers

14. Limits and advantages • SD2001 cannot be used at the local level except for the Paris metropolitan area • No new survey before 2012. Cannot be used for regular monitoring of the situation • But: answers given by the homeless themselves; very detailed data, useful for a better understanding of processes into homelessness and the living conditions of the homeless • Completed by questions in other surveys on past homeless periods (2002-2003 Health survey, 2006 Housing survey)

15. The ES survey by DREES • Conducted by the Statistical Services of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (DREES), every second year since 1982 • Last one 2004; next one 2008 (end of the year) • No data on rough sleepers; only on people accommodated by NGOs and other agencies in collective shelters and hostels listed in the sample frame (an improved version of FINESS)

16. The ES survey by DREES • The limits of the survey: • Forms filled by the service providers, not questions answered by the homeless • Its sample frame (attempts to improve it) • Progress in recent years: in taking into account other forms of accommodation for the homeless, such as hotel rooms and shared flats funded through the ALT grant • Advantage : dates back from 1983, now conducted every fourth year

17. When is data available ? • 2001: SD2001 survey • 2004: ES survey • 2006: Rough sleepers census (larger mun.) • 2008: ES survey • 2011: Rough sleepers census (larger mun.) • 2012: ES survey, SD2012 survey …. but not many figures at a local level at a time when the progress of decentralization would make them necessary

18. Other data from public agencies • Figures which should be considered carefully, more linked to the activity of (or funding by) an agency than an accurate evaluation of the number of people in a situation • Double counting and situations not covered • Examples : data from the DGAS (which funds a large part of the long-stay shelters), from the CNAF (data of the beds funded by the ALT grant, but double counting possible with the DGAS figures, since a bed can have multiple sources of funding)