Finland ends homelessness and provides shelter for all in need (2020)

In Finland, the variety of homeless individuals has fallen sharply. The purpose: The nation applies the “Housing First” idea. Those affected by homelessness obtain a small condo and counselling – with none preconditions. 4 out of 5 individuals affected thus make their manner again right into a secure life. And: All that is cheaper than accepting homelessness.

Updated on November, tenth 2020

Read this text in German right here.

Finland is the one nation in Europe the place homelessness is in decline

In 2008 you may see tent villages and huts standing between timber in the parks of Helsinki. Homeless individuals had constructed makeshift houses in the center of Finland’s capital metropolis. They have been uncovered to harsh climate situations.

Since the Nineteen Eighties, Finnish governments had been making an attempt to scale back homelessness. Short-term shelters have been constructed. However, long-term homeless individuals have been nonetheless omitted. There have been too few emergency shelters and many affected individuals didn’t handle to get out of homelessness: They couldn’t discover jobs – with no housing handle. And with none job, they couldn’t discover a flat. It was a vicious circle. Furthermore, that they had issues making use of for social advantages. All in all, homeless individuals discovered themselves trapped.

But in 2008 the Finnish authorities launched a brand new coverage for the homeless: It began implementing the “Housing First” idea. Since then the variety of individuals affected has fallen sharply.

Finland has set itself a goal: Nobody ought to need to stay on the streets – each citizen ought to have a residence.

And the nation is profitable: It is the one EU-country the place the variety of homeless individuals is declining.

Housing first: How everyone seems to be given residence in Finland

It is NGOs such because the “Y-Foundation” that present housing for individuals in need. They maintain the development themselves, purchase flats on the non-public housing market and renovate current flats. The residences have one to 2 rooms. In addition to that, former emergency shelters have been transformed into residences in order to supply long-term housing.

“It was clear to everyone that the old system wasn’t working; we needed radical change,” says Juha Kaakinen, Director of the Y-Foundation.

Homeless individuals flip into tenants with a tenancy settlement. They additionally need to pay hire and working prices. Social staff, who’ve workplaces in the residential buildings, assist with monetary points reminiscent of purposes for social advantages.

Juha Kaakinen is head of the Y-Foundation. The NGO receives discounted loans from the state to purchase housing. Additionally, social staff caring for the homeless and future tenants are paid by the state. The Finnish lottery, however, helps the NGO when it buys residences on the non-public housing market. The Y-Foundation additionally receives common loans from banks. The NGO later makes use of the rental earnings to repay the loans.

“We had to get rid of the night shelters and short-term hostels we still had back then. They had a very long history in Finland, and everyone could see they were not getting people out of homelessness. We decided to reverse the assumptions.” (Juha Kaakinen, Director of the Y-Foundation)

That’s how the “Housing First” idea works

The coverage utilized in Finland is named “HousingFirst”. It reverses standard homeless assist. More generally, these affected are anticipated to look for a job and free themselves from their psychological issues or addictions. Only then they get assist in discovering lodging.

“Housing First”, however, reverses the trail: Homeless individuals get a flat – with none preconditions. Social staff assist them with purposes for social advantages and can be found for counselling in basic. In such a brand new, safe scenario, it’s simpler for these affected to discover a job and maintain their bodily and psychological well being.

The result’s spectacular: 4 out of 5 homeless individuals will be capable of maintain their flat for a very long time with “Housing First” and lead a extra secure life.

In the final 10 years, the “Housing First” program supplied 4,600 houses in Finland. While in 2017 there have been nonetheless about 1,900 individuals residing on the streets, this system might cut back this quantity to lower than 1000 long-term homeless by 2019 – however there have been sufficient locations for them in emergency shelters in order that they no less than didn’t need to sleep outdoors anymore.

Providing individuals with residences is cheaper than leaving them on the road

Creating housing for individuals prices cash. In the previous 10 years, 270 million euros have been spent on the development, buy and renovation of housing as a part of the “Housing First” programme. However, Juha Kaakinen factors out, that is far lower than the price of homelessness itself. Because when individuals are in emergency conditions, emergencies are extra frequent: Assaults, accidents, breakdowns. The police, well being care and justice methods are extra usually known as upon to step in – and this additionally prices cash.

In comparability, “Housing First” is cheaper than accepting homelessness: Now, the state spends 15,000 euros much less per yr per homeless particular person than earlier than.

No miracle remedy – however a excessive success price

With 4 out of 5 individuals maintaining their flats, “Housing First” is efficient in the long term. In 20 % of the circumstances, individuals transfer out as a result of they like to stick with mates or relations – or as a result of they don’t handle to pay the hire. But even in this case they don’t seem to be dropped. They can apply once more for an condo and are supported once more if they need.

Of course, there is no such thing as a assure for success. Especially homeless girls are harder to achieve: They conceal their emergency scenario extra usually: They stay on the streets much less steadily and somewhat stick with mates or acquaintances.