2009-02-04/SFI conducts new homeless census this week
SFI conducts new homeless census this week
By Michael de Laine, Copenhagen, 4th February 2009
Social research institute SFI will count the number of homeless this week as part of the government’s homeless strategy.
SFI – the Danish National Centre for Social Research – will count the number of homeless in Denmark this week for the second time. The census, which aims at revealing the extent and character of homelessness, forms part of the government’s homeless strategy.
SFI has asked about 1,400 local authorities and social services to answer a questionnaire for every homeless person they are in contact with or have knowledge of in week 6.
A similar census in 2007 revealed over 5,000 homeless, 3,000 of them in the Copenhagen area. Three out of four homeless received transfer incomes - cash aid or early retirement benefits - and 69% were addicted to alcohol, drugs or medicine.
This year’s census results will be published in August. As the methodology is the same as two years ago, SFI says it will be able to compare the results directly.
A new census is planned for 2011.