FINLAND by Kontrast.at / Kathrin Glösel
JUNE 2021 |
65
ENDS HOMELESSNESS AND PROVIDES SHELTER FOR ALL IN NEED
nobody Finland has set itself a target:
should have to live on the streets
every citizen should
have a residence.
In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. The reason: The country applies the “Housing First” concept. Those affected by homelessness receive a small apartment and counselling – without any preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected thus make their way back into a stable life. And: All this is cheaper than accepting homelessness. FINLAND IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN EUROPE WHERE HOMELESSNESS IS IN DECLINE In 2008 you could see tent villages and huts standing between trees in the parks of Helsinki. Homeless people had built makeshift homes in the middle of Finland’s capital city. They were exposed to harsh weather conditions. Since the 1980s, Finnish governments had been trying to reduce homelessness. Short-term shelters were built. However, long-term homeless people were still left out. There were too few emergency shelters and many affected people did not manage to get out of homelessness: They couldn’t find jobs – without a housing address. And without any job, they
couldn’t find a flat. It was a vicious circle. Furthermore, they had problems applying for social benefits. All in all, homeless people found themselves trapped. But in 2008 the Finnish government introduced a new policy for the homeless: It started implementing the “Housing First” concept. Since then the number of people affected has fallen sharply. FINLAND HAS SET ITSELF A TARGET: NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE ON THE STREETS – EVERY CITIZEN SHOULD HAVE A RESIDENCE. And the country is successful: It is the only EU-country where the number of homeless people is declining.
HOUSING FIRST: How everyone is given residence in Finland It is NGOs such as the “Y-Foundation” that provide housing for people in need. They take care of the construction themselves, buy flats on the private housing market and renovate existing flats. The apartments have one to two rooms. In addition to that, former emergency shelters have been converted into apartments in order to offer longterm 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 people turn into tenants with a tenancy agreement. They also have to pay rent and operating costs. Social workers, who have offices in the residential buildings, help with financial issues such as applications for social benefits.
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