RESEARCH TEAMS:
• Multi-local Housing in Poland
Project leader: Barbara Jaczewska, PhD
Project Fellow: Jan Szczepański, MA
Multi-local Housing in Poland and its significance for sustainable spatial management, project funded by the National Science Centre (NCN, 2021/43/D/HS4/00153)
• Deaths Among People Experiencing Homelessness
Project leader: Magdalena Mostowska, PhD
Researcher: Ewelina Biczyńska, PhD
Cooperation: Mateusz Słomski,
Central Statistical Office (GUS)
Data on deaths among people experiencing homelessness in Poland, NCN OPUS project no. 2022/45/B/H
Contemporary housing policy challenges form an important aspect of our research interests. On the one hand, more people are becoming mobile, living in multiple locations simultaneously, and taking advantage of opportunities offered by different localities. On the other hand, homelessness remains an unresolved social problem. At the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, we apply advanced data-analysis techniques to understand housing inequalities and the diversity of residential experiences in Poland.
Attitudes towards living spaces are rapidly changing. It is important to understand the varying behaviours, capture patterns of temporary residence in multiple locations throughout the year, and grasp their rhythms and interactions with local communities and environments. Research into multi-local housing analyses how everyday life is organised spatially. Having more than one residence may be an alternative to traditional migration or circular mobility, such as commuting to work. People who live this way can access the amenities available in each of these areas. Due to the lack of official data, we adopted an exploratory approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. The broad dataset collected allowed us to deepen understanding of types and spatial patterns of multi-locality, relationships between mobile residents and local environments and communities, varying demands for public services, and the impact of spatial inequalities in resource and service access on spatial behaviours.
Insights about multi-local residents are essential for local authorities to develop strategies supporting sustainable spatial management. In the second NCN-funded project, we investigated mortality among people experiencing homelessness, along with the social context involving organisations and individuals present at their deaths and farewells. In Poland, there is no comprehensive data-collection system concerning the health, deaths, and mortality rates of homeless people. Our quantitative findings were based on burial records maintained by municipalities and an innovative algorithm identifying deaths among the recipients of social assistance due to homelessness. We estimate that at least 1,300 people experiencing homelessness (approximately 3.5% of this population) die each year, predominantly men. The average age at death has been increasing—from 55 years old in 2011 to 59 years old in 2022—and overall health in this group has deteriorated. Compared to the general population of Poland, the risk of death among homeless individuals is about three times higher. A deeper understanding of the circumstances and causes of death among people in crisis may support public policy design in social assistance and healthcare systems.
Upper graphics:
↑ Towns and relations indicated by respondents between their first and second residences. Author: Jan Szczepański, based on CAWI research (n=996) conducted in 2023 among residents of the Mazovia region.
↑ Average number of municipal burials between 2015–2022 per average population × 100,000 inhabitants. Map and calculations: Ewelina Biczyńska, based on data from the Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy.
Lower graphics:
↑ FROM THE LEFT. 1
Second homes near Warsaw (Author: B. Jaczewska). Southern Communal Cemetery in Antoninów (photo: M. Mostowska). Main reason for living in multiple locations. Source: own elaboration based on CAWI research (n=996) conducted in 2023 among residents of the Mazovia region (Author: B. Jaczewska).
Average age at death for women and men, and percentages of healthy, ill, and chronically ill individuals among people with full social background documentation who received social assistance due to homelessness and were buried at municipal expense (2011–2022). Calculations: Magdalena Mostowska, based on Central Statistical Office (GUS) data.
RESEARCH LOCATION: Europe (POLAND)