Homelessness and the Institutional Ecosystem: Accessibility and Adequacy of Socioeconomic Support Services
Burak AcarThis research aims to examine the interactions of individuals experiencing homelessness with corporate service networks and service providers. The study aims to assess the extent to which the existing ecosystem of services meets the needs of homeless individuals and the accessibility and effectiveness of these services from the point of view of direct beneficiaries. In this research, a phenomenological approach from qualitative research methods was adopted to examine in depth the subjective experiences and perceptions of individuals experiencing homelessness. As a data collection tool, a semi-structured interview form developed in accordance with the research questions was used. 13 of the homeless individuals were included in the study, where in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with individuals using the snowball sampling technique. The data obtained have been brought together under 4 themes by using the descriptive analysis method: The diversity of corporate services for homeless individuals, the adequacy of corporate services, the attitudes and behaviours of service providers and the expectations of homeless individuals from corporate services. Homeless individuals; he meets his daily needs such as food, housing, and clothes mostly through non-governmental organisations. Sustainable and qualified services in the public sphere remain limited. public and local governments often offer short-term solutions to homelessness, such as housing limited to the winter season and a small amount of temporary cash support. One of the main problems of the homeless people’s access to social assistance and services is their lack of residence. A significant part of the participants highlighted their expectations at the point of providing permanent housing and permanent employment services instead of temporary and limited services at the point of solving the homelessness problem. As a result, it reveals that homeless individuals are largely dependent on non-governmental organisations to meet their basic needs, while public services offer inadequate and temporary solutions. Priority policy objectives should be set to provide long-term and sustainable solutions to the problem of homelessness.
Evsizlik ve Kurumsal Ekosistem: Sosyoekonomik Destek Hizmetlerinin Erişilebilirliği ve Yeterliliği
Burak AcarBu araştırma evsizlerle kurumsal hizmet sağlayıcılar arasındaki etkileşimi mercek altına almakta; mevcut kurumsal hizmet ekosisteminin evsizler açısından erişilebilirliğini, etkinliğini ve evsizlerin ihtiyaçlarını ne ölçüde karşıladığını doğrudan yararlanıcıların bakış açısından değerlendirmeyi hedeflemektedir. Araştırmada, evsizliklerin öznel deneyimlerini ve algılarını derinlemesine incelemek amacıyla nitel araştırma yöntemi ve fenomenolojik yaklaşım benimsenmiştir. Veri toplama aracı olarak, araştırma sorularına uygun şekilde geliştirilmiş yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılmış, İstanbul’un Fatih ve Beyoğlu bölgesinde amaçlı örneklem yönetimiyle ulaşılan 13 evsizle yüz yüze ve derinlemesine görüşme gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular, betimsel analize tabi tutulmuş; (1) evsizlere yönelik kurumsal hizmetlerin çeşitliliği, (2) kurumsal hizmetlerin yeterliliği, (3) hizmet sağlayıcıların tutum ve davranışları ile (4) kurumsal hizmetlerden beklentileri olmak üzere 4 tema etrafında toplanmıştır. Evsizlerin deneyim ve gözlemlerine göre, evsizler yemek, barınma, giysi gibi günlük gereksinimlerini çoğunlukla sivil toplum kuruluşları aracılığıyla karşılamaktadır. Buna karşılık kamu kurumlarının hizmetleri sınırlı, niteliksiz ve istikrarsızdır. Merkezi ve yerel yönetimler evsizlere kış mevsimiyle sınırlı olarak barınma hizmeti ve geçici ve düşük miktarlı nakdi destek nakdi destek sunmaktadır. Evsizlerin sosyal yardım ve hizmetlere erişimlerindeki en temel sorunlardan birisi ikametgâhlarının olmamasıdır. Katılımcıların önemli bir kısmı evsizlik sorununun çözümü noktasında geçici ve sınırlı hizmetler yerine, kalıcı konut ve sürekli istihdam sağlanmasını beklemektedir. Sonuçlar ayrıca evsizlerin, temel ihtiyaçlarını karşılamada büyük ölçüde sivil toplum kuruluşlarına bağımlı olduğunu, kamusal hizmetlerin ise geçici olduğunu ve yetersiz kaldığını ortaya koymaktadır.
Background
Homelessness, as a complex and multidimensional social problem, arises through the interaction of economic, social and psychological factors. Homeless individuals experience serious difficulties in meeting their basic needs due to the lack of a permanent home and are dragged into social marginalisation. The services provided for the homeless in Turkey generally remain at the level of social assistance and cannot provide long-term and permanent solutions. Temporary housing and food assistance are provided by local governments during the winter months, but these services are far from providing comprehensive solutions to the root causes of homelessness. On the other hand, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are trying to fill this gap and make important contributions to meeting basic needs such as housing, food, and clothing. However, these services are demonstrably unsustainable and inadequate, failing to ensure the social integration of homeless individuals. In the current situation, it is important to assess the extent to which both public services and the services provided by NGOs respond to the needs of homeless individuals and the accessibility of these services from the perspective of direct beneficiaries. This research aims to analyse the interactions of homeless individuals with service providers to reveal the effectiveness and shortcomings of services, thus contributing to the development of social policies and practises related to homelessness.
Method
In this research, a qualitative research approach was adopted to understand the interactions of homeless individuals with institutions and service providers. Using the phenomenological method, the subjective experiences and perceptions of the participants were examined in depth. During the data collection process, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 13 homeless individuals living in Istanbul using the snowball sampling technique. We conducted the interviews by recording with a digital voice recorder in environments where the participants felt comfortable. We collected the obtained data using a semi-structured interview form and a socio-demographic information form. We analyzed the interviews by encoding, categorizing, and thematizing the verbatim transcribed recordings. Using the descriptive content analysis method, the data obtained were interpreted within the framework of 4 determined themes.
Results
The relationships of homeless individuals with local governments, non-governmental organisations and public institutions were examined under four main themes: types of corporate services, adequacy of corporate services, attitudes and behaviours of service providers, and expectations from corporate services.
1. Types of Corporate Services
Various structural and legal obstacles shape the relationships of homeless individuals with public institutions. Most of the participants stated that the services offered by public and voluntary institutions are limited and are usually limited to temporary assistance only. The benefits they receive through the governor’s office and district municipalities are often insufficient due to residence problems and are criticised by the participants. The relationships of homeless individuals with non-governmental organisations also occupy an important place. NGOs usually attract attention by having the capacity to provide more flexible and faster services, but the services offered are similar, and not enough diverse services are provided. The participants emphasise the inadequacy of the assistance provided by NGOs and expressed their expectations for the solution to this situation.
2. Adequacy of Corporate Services
Most of the homeless individuals who participated in the study stated that public assistance was insufficient. The lack of residence complicates the process of obtaining assistance and creates serious obstacles to meeting the basic needs of individuals. While the opinion that the assistance received from non-governmental organisations is more functional stands out, the participants also stated that these assistance are not fair.
3. Attitudes and Behaviours of Service Providers
The relationships of homeless individuals with security guards can be fraught with negative experiences. Some participants stated that they encountered inconsistent and negative attitudes of security guards, while others had positive experiences. On the other hand, the relations with civil society employees were evaluated as more constructive and reassuring.
4. Expectations from the Corporate Services
The expectations of homeless individuals cover various areas such as safe housing, access to health services, employment and educational support. The participants demanded that the state provide more permanent solutions for homeless individuals and emphasise that public organisations should play a more effective role in this regard. Also, the beliefs of NGOs that they should come together and develop larger projects also come to the fore decently.
As a result, the inadequacies of the current social service system and the expectations of participants shape the relationships of homeless individuals with institutional services. This situation reveals the need for more inclusive and sustainable solutions to the problem of homelessness.
Conclusion
The problem of homelessness is increasing for various reasons such as social problems, psychological problems and poverty, and it deeply affects the lives of homeless individuals. Although local and central governments in Turkey provide limited services to meet the basic needs of the homeless, the lack of legal legislation and service models that do not offer continuity make these efforts insufficient. In the research, the relationships that homeless individuals have established with public institutions and non-governmental organisations and their expectations from these services have been discussed. While the participants emphasised the inadequacy of public services, they stated that non-governmental organisations provide faster and more effective services. However, the assistance provided by NGOs does not offer permanent solutions either. As a result, the problem of homelessness has a multidimensional structure, and to solve this problem, it is necessary to develop sustainable service models in cooperation with the public and civil society. The experiences and expectations of homeless individuals should be considered in the creation of effective policies.
