1 HOUSING FIRST IN FINLAND: NATIONAL PROGRAMME TO END LONG- TERM HOMELESSNESS BAWO FACHTAGUNG 2016 WIEN JUHA KAAKINEN CEO – Y-FOUNDATION

2 BACKGROUND FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME An evaluation of the previous national programmes (2006) recommended: A need for a more targeted programme to tackle persistent long-term homelessness Working group of ”Four Wise” appointed by the Minister of Environment outlined the basic principles for the new programme (2007) A resolution of the Finnish Government Letters of Intent between State authorities and 10 major cities undersigned Concrete implementation plans for each City Implementation of the Programme started in September 2008

3 PAAVO A government programme coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment In partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Criminal Sanctions Agency, the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland, RAY (Finland´s Slot Machine Association), 11 cities with highest numbers of homeless people, the Church, NGOs and private companies Committed partners and multidiciplinary work over administrative and professional boundaries Sub-projects for preventing youth homelessness and homelessness of ex- prisoners A development network Research supporting development work

4 TARGETS To halve long-term homelessness by 2011 and end it by 2015 Conversion of all shelters and dormitory-type hostels into supported housing units Reinforcing Housing First –approach as a mainstream organizing principle for housing and support services for homeless people Quantitative targets: 2500 new dwellings, supported housing units or care places in 10 ( )/11( ) major cities

5 RESOURCES PAAVO I ( ) total funding appr. 170 M€ including financing from state authorities and cities PAAVO II ( ): 22M € investment grants from The Housing Finance and Development Fund of Finland for construction of new housing units and renovation (max 50%) 10 M€ grants for salary costs of support workers from the Ministry of Social Welfare and Health (max 50%) 32,3 M€ grants for buying scattered housing from the private market from the Slot Machine Association (RAY) 18,6 M€ grants for development projects (RAY) Own funding from project cities (50% of personel costs)

6 MEASURES AND RESULTS HOUSING: Over 3500 new aparments built / purchased for homeless people SERVICES: 200 new professional support workers in housing social work Housing advice services have prevented 200 evictions per year STRUCTURAL REFORMS: Housing First principle has been established Shelters have been replaced by supported housing units Social rehabilitation processes have been initiated

7 SHELTER RENOVATION: WHY WE WANTED TO GET RID OF SHELTERS AND HOSTELS? 2008: 600 bed places in hostels and shelters Now: service centre with 50 bed places for emergency use The oldest hostel in Helsinki run by the Salvation Army (236 bed places) closed its doors in 2011 and was renovated into a supported housing unit with 80 independent apartments Living in a hostel or shelter is always a temporary solution No privacy and very limited professional help in your problems Hostels sustain a culture of irresponsibility Renovation of hostels has increased public safety

8 VÄINÖLÄ SUPPORTED HOUSING UNIT IN ESPOO FOR 35 LONG-TERM HOMELESS PERSONS 8

9 COMPLETED APARTMENTS AND APARTMENTS ALLOTTED TO USE IN THE PAAVO PROGRAM HelsinkiEspooVantaaLahtiJoensuuJyväskyläKuopioPoriTampereOuluTurkuALL Supported housing units Youth housing Supported scattered housing in city rental housing Supported scattered housing in NGOs etc Independet housing in city rental housing ALL

10 MEASURES AND RESULTS HOMELESSNESS HAS DECREASED: In recent years Finland has been the only European country where homelessness has decreased 2015: 6785 single homeless persons, 424 families Wide definition of homelessness: 80% living temporarily with friends and relatives LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS HAS DECREASED: Definition of long-term homelessness: person who has been homeless for over 1 year or recurrently homeless within two years and has serious health and social problems From 2008 to 2015: long-term homelessness has decreased with 1345 persons (35%) Housing retention rate 82% (only 18% returned back to homelessness)

11 CHANGE IN LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS IN PAAVO MUNICIPALITIES Change % PAAVO municipalities % Helsinki % Vantaa % Espoo % Tampere % Turku % Kuopio % Oulu % Jyväskylä % Lahti % Pori % Joensuu % Whole Country %

12 HOUSING FIRST IN FINLAND Housing as a basic social right Housing in normal surroundings Own independent rental apartment either in scattered housing or in a supported housing unit Own rental contract (normally for unlimited time) Separation of housing and services Adequate support :  intensive support 5 support workers/10 inhabitants in service housing  suppport in scattered housing 1/10

13 HOUSING FIRST IN FINLAND Ethical argument: Housing first treats formerly homeless people as normal citizens rather than as as clients or patients Housing is a basic human and social right A civilized state takes care of its most vulnerable inhabitants Economical argument: A study conducted by the Technical University of Tampere shows that housing with intensified support halves the use of social and health services compared to service-use during homelessness This equates to euros of saving per person/year

14 INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF THE FINNISH STRATEGY AN INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION OF THE PAAVO-PROGRAMME WAS CARRIED OUT IN 2014 RESEARCH GROUP: NICHOLAS PLEACE, CHAIR, UNIVERSITY OF YORK DENNIS CULHANE, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA MARCUS KNUTAGÅRD, UNIVERSITY OF LUND RIITTA GRANFELT, UNIVERSITY OF TAMPERE THE FINAL REPORT IS AVAILABLE: F?SEQUENCE=5. F?SEQUENCE=5 ALSO OTHER BACKGROUND MATERIAL OF THE PROGRAMME:

15 MAIN FINDINGS SUBSTANTIAL SUCCESS IN REDUCING LOG-TERM HOMELESSNESS THE MOST INDIVIDUALLY, SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DAMAGING FORM OF HOMELESSNESS HAS BEEN REDUCED THIS HAS NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ON THE SAME SCALE ELSEWHERE FINLAND IS PERHAPS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF A TRULY COORDINATED NATIONAL HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY BRINGING TOGETHER HOMELESSNESS NGOS, Y-FOUNDATION, MUNICIPAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT USE OF COMMUNAL/CONGREGATE MODELS OF HF HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF DEBATE, BUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STRATEGY IS ALSO EVIDENT

16 MAIN FINDINGS RESPONSE HAS ALSO BEEN COMPREHENSIVE, ALONGSIDE THE FOCUS ON LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS: DEVELOPMENT OF PREVENTATIVE SERVICES AND SUCCESSES IN HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION SPECIALIST SERVICES FOR PARTICULAR GROUPS, E.G. YOUNG PEOPLE AND FORMER OFFENDERS A RANGE OF SUPPORTED HOUSING SERVICES ALONGSIDE HOUSING FIRST

17 RECOMMENDATIONS INCREASING AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUPPLY IS KEY TO REDUCING AND PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS PARTNERSHIP WORKING WITH SOCIAL HOUSING PROVIDERS IS CRUCIAL MODELS SUCH AS LOCAL LETTING AGENCIES FROM THE UK CAN ENHANCE ACCESS TO PRIVATE RENTED HOUSING PREVENTION NEEDS TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE AT RISK OF LONG-TERM AND RECURRENT HOMELESSNESS SERVICES LIKE CRITICAL TIME INTERVENTION AND HOUSING FIRST CAN BE USED TO PREVENT LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS AMONG HIGH NEED AND VULNERABLE GROUPS OF PEOPLE INDEBTNESS CAN ALSO BE A ROUTE INTO HOMELESSNESS AND CAN BE COUNTERACTED

18 RECOMMENDATIONS THERE IS SCOPE TO EXPLORE USING LOWER INTENSITY MODELS OF SUPPORT TO BOTH PREVENT AND REDUCE HOMELESSNESS HOUSING IS NOT ENOUGH TO SOLVE HOMELESSNESS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SOCIAL INTEGRATION, AN EMOTIONALLY REWARDING PERSONAL LIFE, WORK, EDUCATION, TRAINING OR SOMETHING POSITIVE TO GIVE STRUCTURE TO LIFE THERE IS SCOPE TO IMPROVE THE EVIDENCE BASE ON SERVICES EFFECTIVENESS AND COST EFFECTIVENESS

19 NEXT PROGRAMME: AUNE MAIN TARGET: 500 HOMELESS PERSONS LESS EACH YEAR STRENGHTENING PREVENTION AND TACKLING RECURRENT HOMELESSNESS MEASURES: FLATS FOR HOMELESSNESS WORK (NEW AND ACQUIRED FROM THE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK) INCREASING HOUSING ADVICE INCLUDING HOUSING AS PART OF THE FINNISH YOUTH GUARANTEE ESTABLISHING LOW-THRESHOLD SERVICE POINTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS SUPPORTING FORMER HOMELESS PERSONS INTO WORK PILOTING FLEXIBLE ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT IN FOUR CITIES

20 NEXT PROGRAMME: AUNE STRENGHTENING THE ROLE OF EXPERTS BY EXPERIENCE IN WORK ON HOMELESSNESS DEVELOPMENT WORK AND NATIONAL COORDINATION SYSTEMATIC DATA COLLECTION, EVALUATION AND RESEARCH BUDGET ESTIMATE: 79 M€ OF WHICH 55 M€ FOR BUILDING AND BUYING FLATS 24 M€ FOR PERSONNEL COSTS AND DEVELOPMENT WORK POSSIBLE USE OF ESF: ON WORK REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTS

21 WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED: CRITICAL POINTS IN A NATIONAL STRATEGY IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL COMMITMENT ADMINISTRATIVE CLARITY AND SIMPLICITY: THE STATE AUTHORITIES AND CITIES ACCOUNTABILITY: CONCRETE QUANTITATIVE GOALS AND WRITTEN AGREEMENTS BETWEEN PARTNERS EQUAL PARTNERSHIP, EQUAL FUNDING ADOPTING HOUSING FIRST AS A PRECONDITION FOR FUNDING NO TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS PRINCIPLE OF NORMALITY IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE SUPPORT (CAN BE SOMETIMES WORK-INTENSIVE) COMMITMENT: ETHICAL COMMITMENT OF KEY INDIVIDUALS

22 TRANSFERABILITY OF FINNISH HOUSING FIRST POLITICAL WILL (CONSENSUS) ? ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE/MODE OF IMPLEMENTATION ? SOCIAL HOUSING SUPPLY + GOOD BASIC SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES + COMPETENT ACTORS, NGOS + RESOURCES (IT IS NOT A MONEY ISSUE!) + A VERY PERSONAL OPINION: IF IT IS POSSIBLE IN FINLAND IT CERTAINLY IS POSSIBLE IN A CITY KNOWN AS THE BEST CITY TO LIVE IN THE WORLD (AND ALSO ELSEWHERE IN AUSTRIA)