Poland

Stowarzyszenie Reprezentacja Polski Bezdomnych

The Polish national homeless team is organised by Stowarzyszenie Reprezentacja Polski Bezdomnych (Polish Homeless National Streetsoccer Team Association). They use sport to promote health, education, and social inclusion, and encourage personal development. Their target groups are men and women in homeless facilities, rehabilitation centres, AA meetings, and anyone who is in danger of social exclusion. The organisation runs local and national street soccer tournaments across Poland.

Organisation Details

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Participants

Homeless men and women, and people suffering from substance abuse

Locations

Across Poland

Homelessness Statistics

17.6%

of Poland's population live below the poverty line, roughly 6.7 million people (CIA, 2015)

25%

of homeless people in 2017 had been in the same situation for over 10 years (FEANTSA, 2019)

19.5%

of homeless people in 2017 were sleeping on the street (FEANTSA, 2019)

There is no official strategy for collecting data on homelessness in Poland. However the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy produces a biennial study on the issue, which found an estimated 33,408 homeless people in 2017, with 6,508 sleeping rough (FEANTSA, 2019). The data collected in this study is considered unreliable by third-sector organisations due to methodology, and the real number may be much larger.

There are currently 30,151 people of concern (refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons) residing in Poland, but their number is likely to increase, mainly due to the ongoing conflict in Syria and Iraq (UNHCR, 2015).