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HOT Challenge – An Outdoor Development Program for Dutch Homeless People - Rijk Smitskamp and Bernhard Holtrop

HVO-Querido is a homeless aid organisation in The Netherlands. With about 1350 employees it offers shelter, housing guidance and daytime activities to 4750 vulnerable citizens, including homeless and people with a psychiatric and/or addiction problems.
The homeless approach in the big cities in the Netherlands follows a pragmatic, procedurised, problem-solving approach. This includes a focus on solving the problems and handling the ‘nuisance’ that homeless people create for the rest of society. The homeless often feel lost in the procedures of the many different authorities they have to deal with. They feel as though they are being treated like a number instead of as a human. Although it is the intention of HVO-Querido to provide a healing environment for the clients, there is in practice little space for taking care of the personal issues the homeless person faces, though these are at the root of the actual needs. Social workers are pragmatic, with a focus on fixing shortterm problems. They are less focused on providing a safe and healing setting in which the clients can develop the self-esteem to fix their own problems. In order to provide effective help, social workers and we as facilitators also need to work on our own personal development.

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