Social- og Indenrigsudvalget 2019-20
SOU Alm.del Bilag 202
Offentligt
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HOMELESSNESS WORK IN
FINLAND
3.3.2020
Ritva Liukonen, Senior Specialist
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
 SOU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 202: Meddelelse om materiale fra Social- og Indenrigsudvalgets studieturen til Finland den 1-3. marts 2020
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Homelessness policies in Finland
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Finland is the only country in the European Union where the number
of homeless people has declined in recent years.
•
This is mainly thanks to a carefully planned, comprehensive
cooperation strategy we call ’Housing First’
•
Traditionally, housing has been seen as the final goal of a social-
recovery process. Housing First shifts this paradigm and puts housing
at the top of the list, that is, as the first step in helping homeless
people to get back on their feet.
•
Finland has been implementing modern homelessness policies ever
since the 1980s. From 2008 onwards, with the adoption of the
Housing First principles, we have experienced a real breakthrough
because of early intervention in preventing long-term homelessness.
 SOU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 202: Meddelelse om materiale fra Social- og Indenrigsudvalgets studieturen til Finland den 1-3. marts 2020
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Government support for housing
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There is about 3 million apartments in Finland and about every third of them
has been constructed using state subsidies. (ARA construction).
•
Because a social element is involved in the building stock subsidised by the
state, the use and handover of these homes has been limited. The basic
premise of state-subsidised housing has been the provision of safe housing
conditions for residents, at a reasonable cost.
•
Economical Support for housing expenses is granted as Housing assistance
and Social assistance at the individual level
•
Housing assistance can be granted for various types of housing in which
beneficiaries live on a permanent basis.
•
The general housing allowance is intended to help low-income households with
their housing costs.
•
Housing allowance is paid yearly 2 billion euros.
•
Social assistance is the last-resort form of financial assistance. Its amount is
based on the client’s essential expenses, for example housing costs up to a
reasonable amount.
•
At the year 2018 Social assistance was paid about 811 million euros and about
half of it was granted for housing expences
 SOU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 202: Meddelelse om materiale fra Social- og Indenrigsudvalgets studieturen til Finland den 1-3. marts 2020
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Homelessness work in Finland
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Preventing homelessness is a way of preventing social exclusion
•
It is important to ensure, that both housing policy and social
policy are involved in facing the issue of homelessness.
•
At the Governmental level homelessness programmes are
admistered by the Ministry of Environment
•
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the
development of social and health services and benefits
•
Cross-sectoral co-operation and common strategies are needed
in national and in local level.
 SOU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 202: Meddelelse om materiale fra Social- og Indenrigsudvalgets studieturen til Finland den 1-3. marts 2020
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At the end of 2018, there were about 5,500 homeless
people in Finland. Of these 1,162 were long-term
homeless. There were 159 homeless families.
Over half
(55 %) of all homeless people in Finland were located in
the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
The forms of homelessness for people living alone (n=4,882) in Finland in 2018, Source:ARA
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The number of homeless people in Finland has
decreased. In 2016, overall homelessness decreased for
the first time to fewer than 7,000 people.
 SOU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 202: Meddelelse om materiale fra Social- og Indenrigsudvalgets studieturen til Finland den 1-3. marts 2020
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3 principles behind programmes to reduce
long-term homelessness
1. We have an ethical duty to provide a decent
standard of living and environment for homeless
people
2. Both national legislation and international
agreements require Finnish public authorities to
address the problem of homelessness.
3. Reducing homelessness is an economically
rational endeavour, because it reduces health
care and social welfare costs.
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Clear responsibilities were defined on the
level of the central government
•
Ministry of the Environment is the lead coordinator, in collaboration with the
Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA) and the Ministry of
Social Affairs and Health
•
Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA) has directed
funding to third-sector organisations for projects and for buying apartments
from the market and renting them to homeless people
•
During 2008–2019 State authorities and the ten largest Finnish cities
concluded detailed agreements for concrete projects, such as site
development, recruiting and training new staff, allocation of flats,
commissioning and organising provision of services
•
A cross-governmental and cross-sectoral operation network has helped to
identify and address the multiple and distinctive needs of the long-term
homeless
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Housing First in Finland: Principles and
Solutions
« Name on the door » :
There is a
basic human need for privacy, a place of one’s own, a
home
A rental contract of one’s own (not second-hand
contract or
temporary social contract)
A permanent housing allows other problems to be solved:
Non-drinking is not a requirement for permanent housing.
Separation of housing and services:
Individually tailored services based on an assessment of needs.
The solutions for homelessness cannot be temporary.
Conventional shelters and dormitory-type hostels are not anymore
adequate solutions to homelessness:
Hostels were converted into supported housing units.
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Evaluating homelessness programmes 2008 -
2019
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The three homelessness programmes have corresponded well
to the prevailing needs in homelessness work.
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Different housing options must be available in municipalities,
both in ordinary rental housing stock and in special housing
units.
●
The implementation and effectiveness of the Housing First
model is hampered notably by the lack of support services
needed in ordinary housing.
 SOU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 202: Meddelelse om materiale fra Social- og Indenrigsudvalgets studieturen til Finland den 1-3. marts 2020
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Government Cooperation Programme to Halve
Homelessness 2020–2022
The key objective is to strengthen the homelessness work of
local authorities
•
developing low threshold social- and healthcare services
for homeless
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by allocating more affordable housing for people at risk of
homelessness
•
Municipalities set up cooperation networks at local level
•
Homelessness work will be established as part of the core
activities of municipalities
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Thank you!
More information
https://ysaatio.fi/en/housing-first-finland
https://ysaatio.fi/en/housing-first-finland/a-home-
of-your-own-handbook
https://housingfirsteurope.eu/countries/finland/
https://www.ara.fi/en-
US/Materials/Homelessness_reports
https://www.ym.fi/en-
US/Housing/Programmes_and_strategies/Homeles
sness_Programmes_of_Finland
https://stm.fi/en/social-and-health-services