Social- og Indenrigsudvalget 2019-20
SOU Alm.del Bilag 202
Offentligt
Ministry of the Environment
1 August 2019
Housing policy
The housing policy improves the opportunities for all people to find housing to suit their situation in life, as
well as promoting sustainable development, the functionality of society and the labour market, and the
possibilities for social engagement among residents. Immigration and internal migration, as well as a
shortage of social housing especially a lack of small flats and high housing prices in the metropolitan area,
particularly in Helsinki, are contributing to homelessness.
Fi la d s populatio is agei g rapidl ; i
, there ill e arou d .
illio itize s o er the age of .
This ill ha e a dire t i pa t o housi g. The Go er e t s housi g poli atte pts to e sure that older
people can live in their homes safely, regardless of their capacity to function or their wealth. This also
increases the need for the provision of services for older people living at home.
Additionally, other special groups, such as people with disabilities, dementia or mental health problems and
the homeless have specific housing needs, which can be fulfilled through independent housing and related
care, supported housing or service housing. The state supports the housing of these groups of people through
interest subsidy loans and special investment grants for the construction, acquisition or renovation costs of
housing units. The investment grants are issued along with interest subsidy loans and they cover the costs
generated by the special spaces needed by the special groups in question. The maximum amount of these
grants is 50 percent of the approved costs of the housing unit.
Homelessness programmes since 2008
In recent years, the state has launched and funded programmes aimed at reducing homelessness, which have
tackled the situation of the most vulnerable long-term homeless in particular. With the help of these
programmes, municipalities and organisations have provided new housing for the homeless and reformed
the services aimed at homeless people.
Since 2008, the national homelessness strategy in Finland has been based on the Housing First model.
Traditionally, housing has been seen as the final goal of a social recovery process. Housing First shifts the
paradigm and puts housing at the top of the list, as the first step in helping homeless people get back on their
feet. The idea of Housing First is simple: to give people permanent housing and the support they need as
soon as they become homeless. When a person has a roof securely over their head, it is easier for them to
focus on solving their other problems. It is important for the implementation of the model that more
affordable housing is available on the market. Finland is the only country in the EU where the number of
homeless people has declined in recent years.
PAAVO I
The programme to reduce long-term homelessness PAAVO (2008–2011) was based on the government
decision of February 2008. The programme was administered by the Ministry of the Environment and its
implementation involved the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Criminal Sanctions Agency, The
Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA) and Finland's Slot Machine Association (RAY). The
PAAVO programme covered ten cities with the largest percentages of homeless people: Helsinki, Espoo,
Vantaa, Tampere, Turku, Lahti, Jyväskylä, Oulu, Joensuu and Kuopio. They all signed letters of intent with the
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state administration. Many national and local NGOs also contributed to the operational activities of the
programme. The same tripartite approach, combining the state, municipalities and NGOs was used for the
homelessness reduction programme 2012–2015 (PAAVO II).
Approximately EUR 100 million in subsidies was granted for housing construction during 2008–2011 with a
further EUR 12 million for developing and delivering services. The cities involved in the programme also
contributed significantly to the funding.
The main aim of PAAVO I was to tackle long-term homelessness and to improve the prevention of
homelessness. The target was to halve long-term homelessness by 2011 by creating sustainable and
permanent solutions. The programme was designed to deliver at least 1,250 new dwellings and supported
housing places for long-term homeless people in the 10 participating cities. A key target was to close down
shared shelters and to replace them with housing units with permanent tenancies. Preventive measures,
such as housing advice and supported youth housing were also included.
Conversion of homelessness shelters to Housing First units is perhaps the most important achievement of
PAAVO I. This change enabled long-term homelessness to be halved, with the most vulnerable homeless
people gaining permanent housing and tailored support. An intensive development of professional practices
following harm reduction and communality principles were pursued in these new, communal Housing First
services, giving rise to a Finnish model of Housing First. PAAVO I reduced long-term homelessness by 28%
between 2008 and 2011.
PAAVO II
The objectives of the PAAVO II programme were the elimination of long-term homelessness by 2015, the
reduction of the risk of long-term homelessness by efficiently accessing social housing stock and the
development of effective measures for preventing homelessness.
Approximately EUR 70 million in subsidies was granted for housing construction during 2012–2015 with a
further EUR 31 million for developing and delivering services. The target cities also provided funding.
During the PAAVO II programme (2012–2015) the focus shifted to developing supported/scattered housing
options with mobile support and preventative services. In particular, services for young people, housing
advice and co-operation with social and health care services have been developed. The participation of
experts by experience has been strengthened in the development of activities. Development of professional
practices and environmental work have been strengthened in housing facilities in order to overcome the
negative attitudes towards homeless people and to enable them to live in ordinary housing stock.
Housing advice services
Housing advice work is of central importance in preventing homelessness in Finland. It is provided by both
social housing companies and social services. Housing advice has proven to be a cost effective form of low
intensity support and it has significantly reduced evictions.
There is a need to expand Housing Advice nationally and make it available to residents living in the private
rental sector. The knowledge gained about housing advice work with immigrant residents can also be utilised
in the training of the housing social work professionals and in co-operation networks. Housing advice services
can also be utilised to reduce homelessness among young people, which is usually so-called invisible
homelessness, i.e. living with friends and relatives.
Mobile support
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Outreach work is one of the preventive activities developed by the cities and organisations taking part in the
implementation of the programmes.
Homelessness is a holistic phenomenon having deep connections with recovery and desistance processes;
preventing homelessness is part of the fight against social exclusion. This requires strengthening housing
skills, the coordination of a social support network and arranging housing before a person's release from
prison or psychiatric hospital. For example, when preventing the homelessness of people with severe mental
health problems; the residents will, if needed, immediately be admitted for interim treatment at a hospital
and after discharge they will receive appropriate support from a familiar support team at their home.
Securing a person's housing during longer periods in institutions, for example, during prison sentences,
requires the development of cross-sectoral co-operation as well as the continuation of support over
interruptions, such as hospital care, substance abuse rehabilitation and imprisonment.
During the PAAVO II programme, in particular, a number of mobile support projects were developed. Floating
support given to people in their own home is a long tradition in social services and drug rehabilitation
services. Deeply marginalised long-term homeless people often need intensive support. The content and
delivery of this support should be systematically developed with the know-how of the peer support
organisations.
Low intensity services In Finland are often offered by Social Services and by a large number of third sector
organisations. There is need to modify the contents of low intensity services and their delivery systems
i ludi g housi g so ial ork .
Evaluation of PAAVO I and PAAVO II
An international research evaluation of the homelessness programmes was conducted in 2014. Significant
investments in new construction and renovation, as well as personnel increases in order to ensure the
successful housing of homeless people with the greatest need of support, were implemented in the PAAVO
programmes. Approximately 4,200 new dwellings were constructed and acquired for the homeless, and
approximately 500 new professionals in housing social work were hired to work in the field of homelessness.
Shelters were replaced by modern housing units, the quality and safety of housing improved, and the
prerequisites for social rehabilitation related to housing also improved. By investing in prevention, and in
housing guidance in particular, it was possible to prevent approximately 200 inhabitants per year from
becoming homeless. Most importantly, long-term homelessness in Finland (in the period 2008–2015)
decreased by 1,345 persons (35%).
The main goal of the programme, the permanent reduction of long-term homelessness nationally, was
reached with the help of a carefully planned, comprehensive cooperation strategy. The fact that the
programme worked in accordance with the Housing First principle was proof of the fact that with sufficient
and correctly allocated support, permanent housing can be guaranteed even for long-term homeless people
in the most difficult positions.
The most important, single instrument were letters of intent, agreements between the state and 10
municipalities on all major projects: planning, target group, sites, funding, construction and renovation,
support services and qualification of personnel. This earmarked model guaranteed that state funding was
directed to planned goals and not to other local interests.
The funding model consisted of investment grants for the construction and renovation of housing units (max.
50% of accepted costs), state funding for personnel expenditure (max. 50% of the costs of new staff) and
state grants to local authorities for the development of housing advisory services (20% of personnel
expenditure). State expenditure during 2008–2015 was about EUR 213 million.
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The evaluators encouraged Finland to continue to invest in the prevention of homelessness in the future.
AUNE
The Action Plan to Prevent Homelessness 2016–2019 was launched by the Government in June 2016. The
goal of the Action Plan is to link the work on homelessness more extensively to the rest of the work on
preventing social exclusion based on the Housing First principle. In practice, this means ensuring that housing
is secured whenever the client is met in the service system.
The target group of the programme includes people who have recently become homeless and those who
have been homeless for longer periods, as well as people at risk of becoming homeless. They include such
groups as young people or families overburdened by debt or at risk of eviction, people undergoing mental
health rehabilitation and substance abuse rehabilitation, young people whose child welfare after-care ends,
asylum seekers who have a residence permit but have failed to integrate, as well as homeless released
prisoners.
Approximately EUR 54 million will be granted for housing construction during 2016–2019 with EUR 24 million
being granted for developing and delivering services, amounting to a total of EUR 78 million. This includes
allocating 2,500 new dwellings or places in housing facilities to the homeless or people at risk of becoming
homeless. The measures aim to revamp the service system for homeless people to make it more client-
oriented, preventative and cost-efficient.
According to the follow-up survey of the programme, 5–10% of homeless people will drop out of even the
current services for the homeless, which will result in significant costs to society. There is a need to find new
tailored solutions to ensure housing and support for this group. People who have experienced homelessness
emphasise the importance of meaningful activities and low threshold work in the recovery process as an
alternative to substance abuse and inactivity.
Over recent years, new multidisciplinary professional modes of action have been introduced in Finland and
certain European countries, in which a combination of expertise in psychiatry, substance abuse rehabilitation,
social work, housing, finding employment and peer support is used to ensure housing for the most
challenging groups of homeless people and the promotion of rehabilitation. Such solutions include the ACT
team supporting living at home and integration into the community.
In Finland, housing advice has proved to be an effective way to prevent evictions. Guidance, debt settlement
and rapid assistance, supplemented with psychosocial case management, are forms of preventative work in
the field of homelessness whose availability nationally are considered important both in social housing and
in private rental housing.
At the end of this year, AUNE will come to an end. Consequently, the evaluation study of the whole ten-year
period of homelessness programmes in Finland was carried out this year.
The Evaluation of the Homelessness Programmes
The purpose of the present report on the homeless programmes carried out in Finland was to evaluate to
what extent the set objectives were met; identify the main inputs and measures taken by the state, the
municipalities and third sector organisations respectively; and see whether the tools adopted proved
effective in reducing and preventing homelessness. The impacts of the programmes were also the subject of
the evaluation. The purpose of the assessment is to clarify the roles of the different parties involved and to
issue recommendations on how best to organise homelessness work effectively and efficiently. The sources
used for the evaluation include documented national and international material, as well as interviews and a
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questionnaire addressed to all those Finnish municipalities that, according to the 2017 statistics, had at least
five homeless persons.
How the results and impacts matched the needs
Overall, the three homelessness programmes have corresponded well to the prevailing needs in
homelessness work. The AUNE Programme targeted the identified risk factors and risk groups related to
homelessness, such as the over-indebted, young people and families at risk of eviction, young people starting
to live independently from their parents, young people in need of after-care, and immigrants. The
homelessness phenomenon, however, has evolved rapidly since the priorities of the AUNE Programme were
set. Certain manifestations of homelessness, such as hidden homelessness and homeless itinerant young
people with PO Box addresses, have become more common. Over the past few years, the presence of
immigrants residing in the country illegally has become a challenge in Finland. The threat of homelessness
among the elderly has also emerged as a new phenomenon. Although the AUNE Programme did consider the
impact of financial problems on housing through over-indebtedness, homelessness has in recent years also
expanded to employed people, a phenomenon that was overlooked when setting the programme targets.
Rising rents, cuts in benefits, and transferring the responsibility for social assistance payments over to the
Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA) have all contributed to a higher risk of homelessness that was
not yet evident at the time AUNE was planned. In all three programmes, cooperation at a national level and
work within the steering group among representatives from the municipalities, the government ministries
and third sector organisations proved to be a good forum for following up on the homelessness phenomenon
and for addressing the needs that have emerged.
Practical homelessness work in municipalities
All three programmes were successful in strengthening national cross-sectoral cooperation between the
different operators involved. At local level, too, the work of cross-sectoral working groups for homelessness
work or housing policy was intensified, or new groups were set up. During the AUNE Programme, there was
an improvement in the division of responsibilities between the professionals engaged in homelessness work
at local level, but cross-sectoral silos still continued to complicate practical work in this field. While local
action plans were drawn up for homelessness activities or homelessness was integrated into other local-level
plans, the trend for setting up collaboration groups was more prominent. The reason is that, contrary to
earlier practice, the municipalities were not obliged to commit to local implementation plans.
Besides the municipalities, other key operators in homelessness work include joint municipal authorities,
rental housing companies, and third sector actors and service providers. Finnish municipalities have different
approaches to tackling and preventing homelessness. While the municipalities are key in carrying out
homelessness work, such work has not yet been established as part of their basic responsibilities to a
sufficiently large extent. A positive feature is that activities under the AUNE programme have even been
carried out in cities that were not involved in the programme. However, differences can be observed in the
implementation and the results among the participating cities, too: while some municipalities offer a wide
choice of housing solutions for the homeless, others have chosen instead to build an overnight shelter for
them.
Our questionnaire showed that roughly half of the respondents estimated that the homelessness
programmes have had a major impact or a very significant impact on local homelessness work. Roughly one
third found that these programmes have had little impact or no impact at all on local homelessness work.
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Very significant impact
9%
No impact
13%
Some impact
23%
Major impact
41%
Moderate impact
14%
Figure 1. Impacts of the homelessness programmes on homelessness work at a local level (n = 78).
Functionality and effectiveness of the Housing First approach
The functionality and effectiveness of the Housing First approach have now been evaluated. The
homelessness programmes in question have promoted the Housing First principle that advocates permanent
rental housing in a housing unit or in a regular rental apartment, irrespective of whether or not the person is
receiving other services. In addition to enabling autonomous housing and creating a separation between
housing and social services, the Housing First
approa h stri es to realise the reside ts freedo of hoi e a d
opportunities to exert influence, as well as their rehabilitation, empowerment and integration into society.
The results indicate that the Housing First approach has worked better for housing units than for regular
rental apartments (Figure 2). About half of the respondents believed that the principle has worked well for
housing units, whereas roughly one third thought that it has functioned well in the case of regular rental
apartments. Nearly half estimated that the principle has helped create solutions for homeless people that
are more permanent and better suited to their individual needs. While roughly one respondent in five
estimated that there are enough rental apartments to implement the Housing First model, only one in ten
considered that the social and other services available in support of housing were adequate.
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The Housi g first pri iple has orked ell for housi g u its
1% 8%
The Housi g first pri iple has reated solutio s for the
homeless that are more permanent and better adapted to their
3% 9%
individual needs
The Housi g first pri iple has orked ell for regular re tal
4%
housing
48%
39%
4%
47%
29%
12%
21%
44%
30%
1%
There have been sufficient rental apartments available to
i ple e t the Housi g first odel
There have been sufficient social and other services (incl.
rehabilitation) available in support of housing to implement the
Housi g first odel
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
11%
38%
32%
15%
4%
13%
38%
38%
10%
1%
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
Figure 2. Effectiveness of the Housing First model over the different dimensions (n = 81)
In the course of the AUNE Programme, there would have been a need to construct new housing with the
investment aid for special groups granted by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA),
especially for those homeless people who are particularly difficult to house and who have not received
adequate support for scattered housing options. Small housing units that offer tailored support best meet
the needs of this group of homeless people. Although a large number of apartments were built in the course
of the Programme, the majority of them are not the moderately-priced rental apartments that are needed
by the homeless and those facing the threat of homelessness. The greatest quantitative need for apartments
is experienced in major urban growth centres where the population is increasingly concentrated. The AUNE
Programme was also useful in developing new work practices that allow housing services and social services
to jointly ensure that homeless people find their way into such apartments. Municipalities, however, fail to
provide enough housing options and related support services, and therefore the opportunities for homeless
people to exert influence, enshrined in the Housing First principle, remains unrealised. The inclusion of
homeless people in society has also been somewhat neglected.
The implementation and effectiveness of the Housing First model was hampered notably by a lack of the type
of supportive services needed in scattered housing. While most locations had apartments available, they
lacked the related supportive services and so homeless people were therefore not directed towards them.
Not only the availability of such support, but also its quality have presented challenges. When outsourcing
their support services for housing, the municipalities failed to demand an adequate level of quality and the
follow-up has also been insufficient. Another challenge has been that residents have no obligation to accept
support in regular rented housing, even when professionals have deemed it necessary to prevent recurring
homelessness. The Housing First model has turned out to be an effective approach, enabling the authorities
to find more apartments for the homeless and establish a degree of permanence in their housing conditions.
Yet the housing arrangements that adhere to this model still include fixed-term leases. Often the reason
behind the fixed-term leases is that landlords consider the potential risks (such as unpaid rents and antisocial
behaviour) too great, due to insufficient provision of supportive services.
Achieved targets and programme impact
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Table 1 contains key statistics on the impact of the programmes. The level of the number of homeless people
has decreased during the programme period, which has resulted in significant savings. With regard to the
AUNE programme, the data is presented for only two years. Nevertheless, compared to the PAAVO II
programme, the number of evictions carried out has decreased. A total of 65,035 evictions have been
initiated during the programme, of which 14,763 have been implemented. As a result, more than 50,000
evictions have been prevented for various reasons.
Table 1. Compilation of key statistics on the homelessness programmes.
Programme
Total funding
Cost
per year
Investment grants
and renovations/
acquisitions for
special groups
PAAVO I
2011
€
illio
€
€
.
illio
illio
%
2008– PAAVO II 2012–2015
€
€
€
illio
illio
illio
%
AUNE 2016–2019
1
€
€
€
.
illio
illio
illio
%
€
illio
(58%)
Total
€
illio
939 new dwellings
603 renovations or
acquisitions
€
illio i
investment grants
ARA:
323 dwellings built
150 dwellings
renovated
23 dwellings acquired
€
illio
In addition: 17
dwellings built for the
long-term homeless
RAY:
€ .
illio i
investment grants for
separate dwellings,
493 dwellings
acquired
€ .
illio for outh
housing, 604 dwellings
built
STEA grants for
supportive housing:
€ .
illio
i
2016–2017. A total
of € .
illio for
supportive housing
in 2018.
€ .
illio
i
investment grants
a d€ .
illio for
youth housing
i l. € .
illio
reservation
for
2018)
€
illio
i
investment grants
for the programme
period
€
illio
i
grants
for
construction and
acquisition in 2016–
2017.
Direct
actions
Level change in
number of
individual
homeless persons
2,145
dwellings,
200
new
permanent jobs in
support services
Situation in Nov
2007: 7,300
Situation in Nov
2011: 7,606
+ 306
3,156 dwellings, more 1,836 dwellings, 90 7,137 dwellings
than 300 housing housing advisers
support persons
Situation in Nov 2011:
7,606
Situation in Nov 2015:
6,785
-821
Situation in Nov
2015:
6,785
Change (no. of
persons): Nov
2007: 7,300 and
Nov 2018: 5,428
= - 1,872
1
The programme is in progress.
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during the
programme
2
Estimate of annual
savings from
reduction in
numbers
Level of the
number of long-
term homeless
persons at start
and end of
programme
Estimate of annual
savings from the
reduction in the
number of long-
term homeless
persons
4
Evictions initiated
and implemented
The total number of
At least €
homeless people
has increased
.
illio
Situation in Nov
2018
3
: 5,482
- 1,303
At least € .
million
PAAVO 2 and
AUNE: at least
€ .
million
End
of
2007: End of 2011: 2,835
reliable
data End of 2015: 2,252
unavailable
-583
End of 2011:
2,835
Cannot
be
€ .
estimated due to
lack of reliable data
from end of 2007
illio
End of 2015: 2,252
End of 2018: 1,162
- 1,090
€ .
data)
illio
PAAVO 2 and
AUNE: at least
€ .
illio
5
2008–2011: 29,550
Implemented:
5,767 (19.5%)
2012–2015: 21,887
Implemented:
6,686 (31%)
2016–2017: 13,598
Implemented:
2,310 (17%)
Initiated: 65,035
Implemented:
14,763 (23%)
According to the evaluation, the PAAVO I and II programmes succeeded in reducing long-term homelessness
and replacing dormitory housing with rental housing. The impact of the PAAVO programmes has been
permanent, as the data shows that homeless people hit hardest by homelessness can be offered long-term
solutions. Housing guidance and other housing support services were developed during the programmes.
This produced staff with tasks related to reducing or preventing homelessness. Several of the operating
models that were developed have also taken root in the cities involved in the programmes.
The aim of the homelessness prevention programme AUNE is to prevent homelessness among vulnerable
groups in particular, to implement related development activities, to develop and disseminate housing
advice, to prevent evictions due to financial difficulties, and to develop solutions that reduce the risks for
landlords when providing housing to homeless people.
Homelessness decreased further during the AUNE programme. Reducing homelessness has been the most
challenging in the Greater Helsinki area and in growth centres such as Tampere, Turku and Kuopio, where
the lack of affordable rental housing has made homelessness work more difficult. The programme
contributed to good cooperation with the One-Stop Guidance Centers (Ohjaamo), which provide low-
threshold advisory and guidance services, with a view to reducing the risks of homelessness among young
people. During the programme, housing advice services for immigrants were established; such services are
The figure does ot i lude fa ilies. Whe talki g a out data, refere e is ade to a le el ha ge e ause the
number of homeless people during the year varies, i.e. the number of homeless people at the end of the year does not
reflect the actual decrease in the number of homeless people, but the change in the level of the number of homeless
people.
3
Statistical method changed in 2018.
4
Calculation used: housing one long-ter
ho eless perso sa es appro i atel € ,
of pu li fu ds per ear.
(University of Jyväskylä et al. 2011).
5
The number of long-term homeless people is presented separately in the table but is included in the decrease in the
number of homeless people.
2
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an important means of preventing immigrant homelessness. So far, the work to prevent homelessness
among young drug users and young people placed in child welfare has not been successful, nor have efforts
to reduce homelessness among groups that have behavioural issues and are difficult to house, such as those
with substance abuse issues. Homelessness among mental health rehabilitees emerged as a form of
homelessness caused by substance abuse and having multiple disadvantages.
From the point of view of preventing homelessness, the increasing focus in the AUNE programme on
homelessness due to financial difficulties and debts is positive. The programme contributed to the
establishment of practices, such as apartment insurance cover and small loans, that help prevent
homelessness caused by financial problems. During the programme, municipalities had to commit to
establishing housing advice services following the development project. This did not happen according to the
objectives. Not all municipalities involved in the programme have permanent advisers, although in Helsinki,
for example, the number of permanent housing advisers increased during the programme. The placing of
housing advice services on a permanent footing has also been affected by the wider take-up in recent years,
as about half of the municipalities providing housing advice only started to offer such services in 2015 or
later. (Oosi et al. 2019).
The results of the AUNE programme have been positively influenced by the Verkostokehittäjät (Network
Developers) project, which has carried out competence-enhancing work across different programme cities
and sectors. The programme has also increased international cooperation in homelessness work. This is
particularly positive from the perspective of the urbanisation taking place in the largest growth centres and
the response to the related demographic segregation. The savings created by the homelessness programmes
is estimated to be approximately EUR 23–32 million per year from the reduction of homeless people and the
prevention of evictions, when compared with the total costs of the programmes, i.e. EUR 348 million over a
period of some ten years.
Recommendations
The evaluation puts forward a number of recommendations. The clarification of the concepts of
homelessness and the development of statistics should be continued, as the current method of compiling
statistics on homelessness does not adequately support homelessness work in municipalities. The topic of
homelessness and the risk of homelessness should be brought up more frequently in basic services and
guidance centres. In addition, one-stop-shop service points should be created in the Greater Helsinki area to
provide low-threshold guidance in housing matters.
As regards the construction of housing units, funding should be allocated to the Greater Helsinki area and
other larger urban regions. Cooperation between municipalities and the state, such as through land use,
housing and transport (LHT) agreements, must ensure that sufficient government funding is available for the
financing of rental dwellings. Existing funding models and housing stock should be used more effectively
when acquiring housing units. Effective methods for the acquisition of housing include increasing rental by
housing providers for the purpose of subletting, activating non-profit housing communities and mapping the
building stock intended for other special groups. Rental housing companies and social services need more
information concerning resident selection guidelines, so that minor and one-off payment defaults in credit
information will not prevent people from receiving housing. The provision of such information is one of the
core tasks of the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA).
The Housing First principle should be further developed and disseminated based on the quality
recommendations set out in the AUNE programme. Different housing options must be available in
municipalities, both in decentralised housing stock and in housing units. The state must allocate funding to
different types of housing, such as housing groups and residential blocks, based on actual costs. It is necessary
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 SOU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 202: Meddelelse om materiale fra Social- og Indenrigsudvalgets studieturen til Finland den 1-3. marts 2020
to increase the incentives in state funding to municipalities, for example by offering bonuses for good results
and by launching experiments based on impact investment. Funding from the European Social Fund and
funding for organisations from the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations can also be
used to support development work. Municipalities must ensure that they organise social counselling and
other social services for independent housing and supported housing. The service guidance at overnight
shelters should be developed in the same way as the expertise of municipalities in outsourced services.
In developing housing social work as a part of social work, the concepts and responsibilities related to housing
advice should be clarified at a national level and information communicated at a local level. Housing advice
that includes both housing and financial counselling should be established as a permanent activity in
municipalities. Cooperative structures and action plans related to the homelessness work of large cities and
developed during the homelessness programmes must be given permanent status. At the same time, steps
must be taken to ensure that the eradication and prevention of homelessness are included in the action plans
and strategies of the largest cities. The sharing of good practices in homelessness work should be encouraged
between cities. It is important to continue the national work carried out in the Verkostokehittäjät (Network
Developers) project to provide professionals from different sectors training at a national level.
Based on the evaluation of the three homelessness programmes, homelessness work has not been
sufficiently established among the core activities of municipalities. The report recommends that a national
project to strengthen homelessness work in municipalities be implemented during the 2019–2023
government term. This homelessness project would be jointly managed by the National Institute for Health
and Welfare and the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA) to ensure that both housing
policy and social policy are taken into account. At the level of government, the project would ensure that key
ministries and partners, such as the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, are involved in tackling the issues
of homelessness. The project would also introduce guidance for municipalities in establishing work on
homelessness. A key objective of the project would be to eliminate homelessness through the use and
development of social welfare services and to promote affordable housing for people at risk of homelessness
in the Greater Helsinki area and other growth centres. The objective of the project would also be to promote
both the identification of the risk of financial homelessness and the prevention of homelessness, for example
by increasing financial and debt counselling and by making use of the results of the Asumistalousneuvonta
(Financial Housing Counselling) project. This report recommends that, in addition to the national
homelessness project, a housing policy programme be launched and that the prevention of homelessness be
recorded also in other suitable national programmes and projects. The reduction of homelessness must also
be taken into account when assessing the social impacts of policy decisions.
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