A Yearly Review of Homeless Entrepreneur in 2023 in 10 Pictures, 2 Videos & 1 Song

Some say pictures speak louder than words, so we've decided to put that to the test, so everyone can see how we've sped up the process of creating sustainable work and dignified housing for and with homeless people in our program once again in 2023 thanks to our growing international community.

January

Life without masks returned, which also meant that the World Economic Forum would be held in January again. Homeless Entrepreneur celebrated our 5th annual WEF Sleepout in Davos in our effort to empower people made of potential out of homelessness thanks to public-private partnerships.

February

Homeless Entreprenuer’s commitment to end global homelessness has been recognized around the world. Our founder president, Andrew Funk, was invited to speak about our work on a smart cities panel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the second edition of LEAP, which was the most attended in the world. It welcomed +172,000 attendees from 183 countries.

March

Thanks to IBM SkillsBuild, Homeless Entrepreneur is providing free digital training in STEM, computer study, cyber, information technology and other sciences through various courses to empower people made of potential out of homelessness and poverty.

April

Our research in Europe develops faster than ever! Homeless Entrepreneur visits European cities in order to carry out its Assistance vs Empowerment report and builds partnerships in the process.

We’d like to thank all of the interns, volunteers and partners making our EU Report possible!

May

It all started with an invitation to join a dinner at the Wisdom House in Davos thanks to Marcelo Garcia; then I spoke with Will.i.am and then Gino, a Nueroscientist from Hong Kon who would eventually introduce me to Tony, an Australian chef experiencing homelessness in Nice, France.

Tony contacted our Homeless Helpline (+34 697 877 089), and then participated in our Voices program, which ultimately led him to get off of the streets and into a job doing what he loves: cooking!

June

Contrary to what you may see on social media, ending homelessness takes more than 1 post or 1 day! Homeless Entrepreneur is committed to accompanying our beneficiaries as far as they’d like to go with us.

One example of a success story is Hoshang, who has overcome many obstacles throughout his journey out of homelessness thanks to our HELP program and, most importantly, his commitment to improving his own life.

July

A social impact blast from the past! We are proud of our growing community of HELP program graduates, who become active, working citizens again. Luis is one of many success stories!

August

Homeless Entrepreneur partnered up with the Hostal Grau, an eco-sustainable boutique hotel, to create social impact thanks to tourism and the commitment of our partner network.

The Social Impact Room is an initiative where 100% of the profit of 1 room per week will be invested in local programs and projects led by Homeless Entrepreneur to empower people made of potential out of homelessness and poverty.

September

To speed up the process of empowering people out of poverty through our European Report on Assistance vs Empowerment, Homeless Entrepreneur has partnered up with Guillem S. Benet, a minimalist catalan pianist, to sonify the obstacles and opportunities of homelessness and poverty in Twelve European cities, which will help us strengthen our community through musical inspiration.

Enjoy his piano piece called “Brussels.“

October

Homeless Entrepreneur celebrated World Homeless Day by doing a sleepout with James Melville, Marco Robinson and Simon Miln in London, England on October 10th to raise awareness and funding for our sleepout in Davos during the World Economic Forum. Thanks to these three amazing men, our WEF sleepout has grown into what is now called THE Great Sleepout!

November

Nothing beats the smile of a Homeless Entrepreneur with a new job! We are proud of each and every individual who participates in our HELP program. It’s not easy because the commitment is intense, but seeing our beneficiaries advance professionally makes every single stakeholder smile =)

Clinton is one of many inspirational individuals who have successfully graduated from our HELP program this year.

December

We’ve grown so much that we even out grew our logo! Thanks to Lift Consulting’s pro bono support and Max Leal’s strategic branding advisory support, Homeless Entrepreneur has a new logo, which represents where we are and where we are going!

*We’d also like to thank them for emphasizing that every homeless person is made of potential, which will be included in our communication, which you might already have recognized ;-)

Summary

Thanks to everyone who has been involved, we've provided support to +1,000 beneficiaries in our main programs in 2023 and hope to empower +2,000 people made of potential experiencing homelessness in our programs in 2024.

Special Thanks to our Partners

We’d like to thank all of our partners in 2023 who have placed their trust and support in our work because it wouldn’t be possible without them!

We need your support for 2024!

If you appreciate our work and would like to help support us, please do.

A donation that comes from your heart, which is coherent with your interest and possibilities is the difference between more or less homeless people made of potential becoming empowered out of poverty.

A huge hug,

Andrew Funk

Founder President of Homeless Entrepreneur

Growing Homelessness in France and how Strasbourg is Addressing it

Written by Drexel Osborne

Homelessness is a global issue affecting millions of people, however, in recent years it has been on the rise in France. Before 2020 there were 143,000 recorded unhoused individuals, but, in 2021, that number ballooned to more than 300,000. While increased costs of living and inflation are two of the usual culprits, the pandemic has also placed additional strain on social services leaving many individuals struggling to find housing. 

Photo Credit: BAINVILLE Anatole (Click to follow photographer on Instagram)

Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament, located in northern France near the border with Germany. As the official seat of the European Parliament, Strasbourg’s policy decisions are particularly pertinent. In France, emergency housing is managed and funded at the national level, which encouraged Strasbourg to sue the government for its failure to provide adequate shelter services to those in need. 

Although Strasbourg mayor, Jeanne Barseghian, did not provide a timeline for when the suit will be filed, she clearly stated "shelter is a matter for the state, there is a deficiency, I decided that the city of Strasbourg would sue the state for damages due to this failure."

Photo Credit: BAINVILLE Anatole (Click to follow photographer on Instagram)

Covid-19 and Homelessness

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, France issued one the strictest lockdowns in Europe. Overnight many people who relied on certain social services found themselves without them. The metro, public bathrooms, and restaurants known for distributing leftover food were all shut-down, which left many unhoused individuals without their usual access to basic necessities. 

Not only did the pandemic bring a decrease in available resources but it also negatively impacted the mental health of many of the people accessing shelter services.  

In July of 2020, the City of Strasbourg signed the Declaration of the Rights of Homeless Persons. This declaration affirms the fundamental rights of unhoused individuals and recognizes their full citizenship regardless of housing status. By signing, Strasbourg has committed itself to implementing new strategies to increase access to housing, public services, social services, emergency services, and sanitary facilities for people experiencing homelessness.

Photo Credits: BAINVILLE Anatole (Click to follow photographer on Instagram)

Rights of Children 

Child homelessness is a particularly pressing issue in France and Strasbourg. France was the second nation to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which proclaims all children have the right to an adequate standard of living, healthcare, food, and education. However, according to UNICEF’s yearly report, the number of children sleeping on the streets of France has increased by 20% in the last year. In October 2021, the international NGO Human Rights Watch reported a deterioration in living conditions of unhoused migrant children in Northern France. 

Children experiencing homelessness experience anxiety, sleep disorders, and language difficulties at higher rates than their peers, and a lack of secure housing can lead to an inability to fully engage in learning. 

In response, ordinary citizens and non-profits have begun organizing. Open letters have been written to local authorities asking for more emergency housing. In addition, teachers, parents and members of the community have banded together to raise money to secure housing for students in need.    

Homeless Entrepreneur is helping to engage children in the fight against homelessness with the Social Impact Club that supports the Social Impact Room. According to Janpol Grau, The first Social Impact Club, which has members from 12 to 17 years old at Benjamin Franklin International school in Barcelona, will “help youth realize how to create and provide social impact for their city.” After developing their communication and project managing skills members of the club will create their own projects to help alleviate homelessness.  

Migrants 

A 2017 statute allows French police to carry out immigration status checks within emergency shelters. In Strasbourg, two of these checks have been done at Branly gymnasium. Families without the proper paperwork were taken to The Centre de Préparation au Retour (Return Preparation Centre, or CPAR) to await deportation. 

Walter, a migrant from the Cayman Islands and Homeless Entrepreneur, who moved to France in 2013 had a difficult time finding paid work upon moving to France. 

“At first, I worked without an employment contract because I did not have papers and the companies did not pay me.” The lack of a consistent salary made it difficult for Walter to pay his rent and he had to ask for social assistance and accommodations from the state. 

Homeless Entrepreneur’s Helpline (+34 697 877 089), which allows free phone calls via WhatsApp, helps migrants as well as anyone experiencing homelessness or at risk of doing so by collecting real-time data from and about those at risk of becoming homeless and connects them to available resources, to prevent and reduce homelessness.

Photo Credits: BAINVILLE Anatole (Click to follow photographer on Instagram)

Ensure accuracy & improve the quality of our work!

(Click on one or more of the buttons below to get involved!)

Learn more about our EU Report & Get Involved!

We are raising funds to visit all 12 cities in our EU Report, so we can improve our understanding of the city and how it addresses homelessness as we build partnerships to empower people out of homelessness.

How could Elon Musk become homeless and who would help him get back on his feet?

Written by Open AI

While it's speculative to predict any individual's future with certainty, including someone as prominent as Elon Musk, becoming homeless is a complex process influenced by various factors. Elon Musk is a billionaire and the CEO of multiple successful companies like Tesla and SpaceX, so the likelihood of him becoming homeless is extremely low. However, for the sake of your question, I can provide a general hypothetical scenario and the types of assistance that might come into play.

Image of Elon Musk experiencing homelessness created by https://deepai.org/

Hypothetical Scenario: Let's imagine an extreme situation where Elon Musk faces a series of unforeseen personal and financial challenges that lead to significant losses. Perhaps his companies encounter insurmountable difficulties, his investments collapse, and he faces legal issues that drain his resources. These cascading events could potentially impact his personal finances to the point where he struggles to maintain his lifestyle.

Assistance in Such a Scenario:

  1. Personal Savings: Even if Elon Musk were to face financial difficulties, he has significant personal wealth. His savings, assets, and properties could provide a safety net to prevent him from becoming homeless.

  2. Social Network: Musk is well-connected in both business and social circles. He could potentially turn to friends, colleagues, and fellow entrepreneurs for temporary support, advice, or even financial assistance.

  3. Philanthropic Organizations: Musk is known for his involvement in various philanthropic initiatives. If he were to face a crisis, he might receive support from organizations he has been associated with, or from new philanthropic avenues.

  4. Business Rebound: Given Musk's track record of innovation and business acumen, it's possible that he could find new opportunities to rebuild his financial standing. Investors, partners, or backers might be interested in supporting his new ventures.

  5. Community Services: In the unlikely event that Musk found himself in need, there are various social services available to support individuals experiencing homelessness, providing shelter, food, and other basic necessities.

Image of Elon Musk eating in a soup kitchen for homeless people created by https://deepai.org/

6. Public Awareness and Support: Elon Musk's prominence could lead to public awareness of his situation. This awareness might trigger public support, crowdfunding efforts, or other forms of assistance from people who admire his work.

*It's important to note that these points are purely speculative and based on the hypothetical scenario you provided. Elon Musk's current position and resources make it highly unlikely that he would become homeless, and he has a wide range of options available to him should he face any financial or personal challenges.

The text below was written by Andrew Funk, founding president of Homeless Entrepreneur.

Empowerment in Such a Scenario:

  1. Helpline, which collects real-time data from and about homeless people or those about to become homeless and connects them to available resources, aims to prevent and reduce homelessness.

  2. Voices, which provides insight into the lives of individuals suffering from homelessness and/or poverty to connect them with their community along with housing and employment opportunities, so they can grow their income and build their assets.

  3. HELP Program, which provides a support pathway to independence through incentivizing employment opportunities and fostering entrepreneurial activities. It is a holistic one-year program that addresses poverty, works in conjunction with our Housing Launchpad program or already existing housing programs in order to create sustainable change via active citizenship, community and life purpose.

Image of Elon Musk becoming a Homeless Entrepreneur created by https://deepai.org/

*It's important to note that these points are purely speculative and based on the hypothetical scenario of Elon Musk becoming homeless. In the case that he become homeless, we would like him to know that we would happily support him in the process of becoming empowered out of homelessness and hope we would do the same for others.

In the highly unlikely scenario, according to AI, that Elon Musk reads this article to the very end and would like to help us empower people out of poverty, he can contact me (Andrew Funk) via email, funk@homelessentrepreneur.org, or telephone, +34 697 877 089.

It’d be an honor.