Nicolas Jacquet

In contemporary European welfare states, homelessness remains a complex social problem. Since the emergence of modern society, public policies to combat homelessness have been developed following three paradigms: emergency-oriented, integration-oriented and punitive-oriented. Based on the findings of a recent research project in Belgium dealing with homelessness in times of covid-19, we draw on the theoretical set of ideas, inspired by the work of critical scholars Niklas Luhmann and Luc Boltanski, to discuss State rationales and social work institutions’ strategies to combat homelessness in this specific period. This health crisis offered an opportunity for the State (political system) to increase its autonomy of action in this field of public intervention: on the one hand, by simplifying public action through a single emergency paradigm; on the other hand, by keeping beneficiaries (and partners) at a distance through the digitalisation of social work. This unprecedented episode raises the question of the legitimacy of social work and its professional expertise.