Finland: "Housing First" is a success

Finland has significantly reduced homelessness since the 1980s. The number of homeless people fell in 2020 for the eighth consecutive year. © copyright The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA).

By Daniela Gschweng / 5.08.2021 Finland is the only European country to have permanently reduced homelessness - by providing unconditional housing.

[This article published on 8/5/2021 is translated from the German on the Internet, https://www.infosperber.ch/freiheit-recht/menschenrechte/finnland-housing-first-ist-ein-erfolg/.]

Those who don't have a place to live get one. Unconditionally. That, in a nutshell, is the Housing First approach. Since 2008, this approach has been Finland's official strategy against homelessness - and a success. The number of homeless people fell in 2020 for the eighth year in a row.

This makes Finland the only European country to reduce homelessness in recent years. At the end of 2020, Finland counted 4341 homeless people, 259 fewer than the year before and 539 fewer than in 2018, down from 17,000 in the late 1980s. In 2019, for the first time, there were under 1000 homeless people under the age of 25.

The basic idea: unconditionality

About four out of five participants in Housing First kept their apartment, of the remaining fifth, some moved in with friends and relatives, while the others did not manage to pay the rent. Those who move out, however, can re-enroll in the program at any time.

The Y-Foundation, which has been running "Housing First" projects since the 1980s, rented, bought or built apartments for them. The non-governmental organization received favorable loans from the state, and is also supported by the Finnish lottery. In return, Finland has been able to reduce aid offers such as emergency shelters, of which there are still enough to cushion bottlenecks.

Cheaper in the long term than emergency aid

Those who register receive a permanent apartment with their own rental contract, plus comprehensive support from a social worker financed by the Finnish state. In ten years, Housing First has spent 270 million euros on housing.

Behind Housing First is a paradigm shift in social work. The goal is to move away from short-term emergency assistance to a long-term solution that provides housing and counseling to anyone in need. In the long run, that would be cheaper than the previous model, says Juha Kaakinen, CEO of the Y Foundation. Homelessness creates costs in many places that add up over the years, he says.

Those without homes employ emergency services, the judiciary and police far more than the average citizen. Homeless people also suffer far more frequently from health problems due to their overall situation, as has been repeatedly documented. Per homeless person, the Finnish state now spends 15,000 euros less per year than ten years ago, the magazine "Kontrast" summed up last year.

This is not only a financial gain, but also a moral one. The Finnish model suggests that in many cases the only thing lacking is access to affordable housing. "Housing First," however, works on many different levels.

It's not just about affordable housing

The most obvious level: breaking the "no work - no housing" cycle. However, the unconditional fulfillment of an important basic need also changes the way homeless people feel about themselves.