In Hungary’s capital, Budapest, the city council has passed a regulation outlawing what it calls “habitual living” in public spaces, including underpasses, bridges, playgrounds, much of the city centre and Budapest’s world heritage sites: the banks of the river Danube and the historic Buda Castle area. Debrecen, a city in eastern Hungary, has followed suit and banned the homeless from the city centre and nearby Nagyerd forest. Offenders can be fined, forced to carry out community service and even imprisoned. These local rulings follow on the heels of a national law that allows local authorities to take such measures to protect “public order, security, health and cultural values”.
The United Nations’ two special rapporteurs attacking the government for stigmatising the homeless, fuelling prejudice and abusing their human rights. The new law brings a criminal aspect to a social problem, says Luca Koltai, of Habitat for Humanity Hungary, a housing charity. “People can perceive the homeless not as poor and vulnerable people who lost their homes, but as criminals.” Government officials replied that it is not illegal to be homeless, only to set up camp in certain areas and argue many other cities in Europe prohibit the homeless from “urban camping”.
As winter bites, sympathy for the homeless is more widespread than might be expected. Many of those on the streets have lost their jobs or have been thrown out of the marital home. Lacking a stable address, foreign language or computer skills, it is very hard for them to find work. The long-term answer is a coherent housing policy for the poor and vulnerable, says Ms Koltai. A survey by the Menhely Foundation, which works with the homeless, found that 80% of respondents were not in favour of punishing them and thought they should have better social care; and 7% had a friend or relative who had slept rough.
The United Nations’ two special rapporteurs attacking the government for stigmatising the homeless, fuelling prejudice and abusing their human rights. The new law brings a criminal aspect to a social problem, says Luca Koltai, of Habitat for Humanity Hungary, a housing charity. “People can perceive the homeless not as poor and vulnerable people who lost their homes, but as criminals.” Government officials replied that it is not illegal to be homeless, only to set up camp in certain areas and argue many other cities in Europe prohibit the homeless from “urban camping”.
As winter bites, sympathy for the homeless is more widespread than might be expected. Many of those on the streets have lost their jobs or have been thrown out of the marital home. Lacking a stable address, foreign language or computer skills, it is very hard for them to find work. The long-term answer is a coherent housing policy for the poor and vulnerable, says Ms Koltai. A survey by the Menhely Foundation, which works with the homeless, found that 80% of respondents were not in favour of punishing them and thought they should have better social care; and 7% had a friend or relative who had slept rough.
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