The roles of Voluntary Organizations in the Field of Homelessness - Advocates, Links and Extra social safety nets

Abstract

Voluntary organizations hold a tradition of providing support to poor and homeless citizens. In recent years, the demand for their services has increased. "Traditional" organizations in the field have expanded their activities and new organizations have been started. Findings suggest that organizations’ role as a first step - a mediating link - into the public welfare system has been strengthen, with demands on e.g. legal advice and support in navigating the digital public welfare systems. Simultaneously, the organizations' "niche" as an extra social safety net for individuals excluded from, or with limited rights to, the public welfare system has grown. The article is based on an interview study with representatives of voluntary organizations in Stockholm and Gothenburg and is a follow-up to a similar study conducted in the late 1990s.