Unravelling perceptions : conditionality and deservingness when addressing homelessness

Filipovič Hrast, Maša (author), Rakar, Tatjana (author)

Although the right to housing has long been recognised in various charters and documents, housing provision remains inadequate in most European welfare states. Moreover, conditionality is an increasing trend in social policy, heightening competition for resources among different vulnerable groups. The impact of making access to social housing and welfare benefits for people experiencing homelessness subject to conditions has received limited attention, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. This study focuses on perceptions of and attitudes towards people experiencing homelessness in Slovenia. Using a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data, it identifies how the deservingness of people experiencing homelessness is perceived and positioned relative to other recipients of welfare state services and benefits, while discussing arguments for conditionality. Results show that people experiencing homelessness ranked relatively high, and the state was viewed as responsible for providing support to this group. However, this generally positive attitude comes with specific conditions, as focus group discussions revealed that the attitude criterion concerning willingness to change was commonly used to justify or condition deservingness. The article contributes to academic debates on deservingness and conditionality found in public attitudes as barriers to the implementation of policies addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

• Language: English
• Keywords: homelesness, public attitudes, conditionality, housing right
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Geographic coverage: Slovenija
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 22 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-186635
• UDC: 364.682.42(497.4)
• ISSN on article: 1949-1255
• DOI: 10.1080/19491247.2026.2668645
• COBISS.SI-ID: 279962371
• Publication date in RUL: 03.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of housing policy
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1949-1255
• COBISS.SI-ID: 35524189

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: brezdomstvo, starlišča javnosti, pogojevanje, stanovanjska pravica

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J5-2559-2020
• Name: Brezdomstvo v Sloveniji: obseg, značilnosti in stališča

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P5-0193-2020
• Name: Analiza dela, izobraževanja in zaposlovanja