Impact: Changing Attitudes
To date the Homeless World Cup has been a very successful means to raise awareness of homeless issues and improve the image of homeless people in the general public.
Interest in attending the tournament has been enormous. Not less than 20,000 people watched the Homeless World Cup in Graz where the stands were so full that the organisers had to erect screens so people could watch. This has risen to around 100,000 people throughout the week in Copenhagen 2007.
From 160 spectators surveyed before watching a game at the Copenhagen 2007 Homeless World Cup 20% admitted a negative perception of homeless people, 21% stated no opinion and 58% claimed a positive view. After watching a game their views had shifted significantly with 85% claiming a positive perception, 12% had no opinion and only 1% shared a negative view.
Media coverage around Graz 2003 changed the public attitude considerably. Street paper vendors, most of them asylum seekers from African countries, reported an atmosphere of sympathy and interaction during and post the event. In Cape Town 2006 media coverage resulted in government and city funding for street soccer programmes. In Russia the first Homeless World national trials saw media discuss the issue of homelessness in the open for the first time – it is taboo in a nation where the political system creates 5 million homeless people.
