Lessons for CED from Europe: Housing, Job, Food, or Fuel Poverty…All Roads Lead to a Social Inclusion Model

<p>For the past five months I served as a visiting scholar to the University of Ghent in Belgium.   The link between food insecurity, a particular focus on my work in North Carolina, and larger overall economic insecurity issues has been getting increased focus across a number of European countries. Belgium is much smaller in geographic size, but has nearly the same population as North Carolina, and similar overall poverty rates.  It has both wealthy urban areas, and regions that have struggled with the decline of coal production and other industries over the past several decades.  It has touristic centers touting high end fashion stores and gastronomic delights.</p> <p></p> <p>Yet Brussels, its capital and one of main homes of the European Parliament, struggles with a poverty rate of over 30% and there are strong disparities from border to border, not dissimilar to those seen here.  While Belgium may seem a world away from North Carolina, many of the issues facing local CED officials are similar.</p> <p>My goal was to use this opportunity to explore what lessons Belgium could hold for North Carolina in terms of CED through the lens of its local response to food insecurity.  As a visiting scholar, I made standard academic presentations, but my efforts focused on speaking with local government and non-profit practitioners.</p> <p>These visits included:</p> Two social cafés, a pantry (with associated shower facilities), and three non-profit thrift stores in Ghent, Belgium, an urban, university and historical city of 250,000. The Social Huis (Social House – a local government all-inclusive agency housing all social services) and [...]