Van exclusie naar inclusie. Naar een beter begrip van de toegang tot sociale rechten voor dak- en thuislozen in België.

The main purpose of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of access to social rights for people experiencing homelessness (PEH). In many welfare states, the principle of 'no address, no rights' persists, making social rights contingent on having a registered address. This creates a 'Postal Paradox' (Byrne, 2018) where the absence of an address restricts access to rights, perpetuating homelessness. Several European countries have introduced alternative registration systems for address-less persons, and there is growing recognition of the 'right to an effective postal address' for PEH , as formulated in the Homeless Bill of Rights by FEANTSA and the Housing Rights Watch (2017). The thesis primarily investigates the reference address at a Public Centre for Social Welfare (PCSW) in Belgium, by using quantitative and qualitative research methods. The analysis of an integrated administrative dataset reveals the severe complexity of chronic homelessness, and show significant challenges in the importance of making visible those who are 'administratively invisible'. The qualitative analysis made use of different perspectives to examine address-lessness, both from a non-take-up and administrative burdens perspective. Findings reveal a disconnect between policy design and implementation, impacting a vulnerable population group. Despite its intention to include the most excluded, the policy's implementation is hindered by conditionality, administrative burdens, and conflicting goals. This inconsistency results in exclusion of non-compliant individuals, leading to severe repercussions such as a loss of access to fundamental rights and further administrative and social exclusion.