Social Assistance for Socially Excluded Persons in Karlovy Vary and Prague in 2024

This bachelor thesis focuses on the analysis of the availability of social services and social benefits for homeless people in Karlovy Vary and in the capital city of Prague. The aim of the thesis is to map the availability of social services designed for people affected by social exclusion, specifically the loss of home and shelter according to the ETHOS typology in Karlovy Vary and Prague. The theoretical part of the thesis defines the concept of social exclusion, the ETHOS typology, and the conditions for providing social assistance. The practical part compares the economic situation of specific homeless persons and analyses the capacity, availability and types of services provided in the cities. The conclusions of the thesis show that the availability of social services is significantly higher in Karlovy Vary than in Prague. According to the results of the research, the higher availability of social services in Karlovy Vary is due to two main factors, namely the movement of homeless people in search of the idealistic vision of more accessible services in other cities and more affordable housing prices in Karlovy Vary. Opportunities for increasing the capacity and availability of social services for the homeless exist both passively - establishing new organizations and services for the homeless or increasing the effectiveness of these services - and actively - preventing homelessness or streamlining counseling services to facilitate the inclusion of the homeless.