A Virtual Home For The Homeless

A Virtual Home for the Homeless, The Netherlands

Background

Central Government funding has been allocated in The Netherlands to increase the opportunities for integrating homeless people into the community by enabling familiarisation of the many opportunities offered by ICT. The project is being carried out in many cities across the country including many of the countries largest cities, highlighting the need to ensure homeless peoples participation in the information society.

Features

Acquainting homeless people with ICT, including providing them with e-mail addresses, using community centres as training centres, tailoring courses to individual needs, and coordinating through the use of interactive communication homeless people and hostels for reserving sleeping accommodation in night shelters. Internet connected PCs are being installed in every shelter and related organisation in the town of Groningen.

Benefits

Integrating homeless people into the community through the training and use of information communication technologies, helping them to communicate with the authorities, family and friends, which previously would have been hard with no fixed address. The project will lead to digital inclusion for homeless people, helping them to acquire the necessary skills to help them to become more employable. Homeless people are taught how to use the Internet with hands on training, so they can search for advice and learn about initiatives aimed at helping them.

Evaluation

The project has been innovative in helping homeless people to become digitally included; it breaks down the traditional barrier to the homeless of not having a fixed address by introducing a fixed method of communication in the form of a free e-mail address being