ERE - Empirical Research in Economics and Fondazione MPS awarde one scholarship, for a total amount of 12,000 euros, dedicated to the memory of Riccardo Faini and aimed to PhD students in economics in Italy. The amount of the scholarship was meant to be used by the winners to finance the collection of an original dataset.
The scientific committee of the 2007 edition of the “Riccardo Faini” scholarships has decided to assign the whole amount of 12,000 euros to the data collection project “The Homeless in the Metropolitan Area of Milan”. This project had been submitted by Michela Barga and Lucia Corno, both enrolled in the Bocconi University Ph.D. program.
The reasons for this decision can be summarized as follows:
- the interesting topic: this project will allow both the first complete census of the homeless population within an Italian metropolitan area and a detailed sample analysis to study the characteristics and problems of the homeless population;
- the fact that the collected data will be easily used by other researchers once published on the ERE association website;
- the quality of the submitted project, where all the steps of the data collection are described with full detail and technical competence;
- the capability to match ERE association funds with the contribution of other associations.
FIRST RESULTS:
The first census on homeless in Milan, unique in all Europe, has been recently realized. It has been conceived and organized by Michela Braga e Lucia Corno, PhD Students in Economics at Bocconi University, and it has the aim to collect quantitative and qualitative data - thanks to the hundreds of interviews carried out by volunteers - useful for the scientific community to further research on this phenomena and to policy makers to elaborate long-term policies.
The research project has been financed by ERE and Fondazione MPS (by means of the research scholarships “Riccardo Faini”), and it has also received the financial support of the Rodolfo de Benedetti Foundation. The organizers also thank about 320 volunteers and many associations operating in Milan: Croce Rossa Italiana (for providing logistic support and its volunteers), Caritas, Opera Cardinal Ferrari, and all the shelters in Milan for their collaboration.
The census refers to a broad definition of homeless: all individuals having slept outside in the night of January 14th 2008. In only one night the researchers found:
- On the street: about 400 people
- In shelters: 1152 people
- In disused areas, favelas, shacks: about 3300 people (including kids)
In the following days about 34% of them have been interviewed, thanks to the collaboration of the volunteers. The estimates are preliminary and they still need to be checked, but they give a first insight on the magnitude of homeless phenomena in Milan.
Preliminary results (presented during the 2008 Festival of Economics in Trento): DOWNLOAD THE SLIDES, DOWNLOAD THE WP
Press coverage: Corriere della Sera, lavoce.info, Sole24Ore.