Social exclusion in the Russian state system of tackling homelessness
Russian state system of social work with homeless people is analyzed. Several social exclusion mechanisms are considered: registration system, lack of registration of homeless people, soviet heritage of social assistance system, lack of preventive work with risk groups, lack of strategy for preventing and overcoming homelessness, lack of research, lack of performance monitoring of state social services, discriminating laws, low budgeting, low interagency interaction, lack of public participation. Social services must break vicious circle of social exclusion but practice shows that often they deepen problems it instead. Interviewing of staff at state shelters for homeless people in 6 Russian cities shows a variety of limits in existing practice of work: barriers to enter the service, financial problems, problem-based approach, time limits for living in the state shelter, lack of outreach services and reintegration services after shelter and so on.