“The Pathway to a Permanent Home” Strategy for preventing and fighting homelessness Gunnar Sveri

Homelessness in Norway The world’s best housing standard One of the world’s highest standards of living

Homeless census 1996:6, :5, :5.500 Ref. Norwegian Building Research Institute reports 216/1997 and 371/2004

Vision Good, safe housing for all.

Housing for all You shall have an offer of housing even if you have poor finances even if you do not want to receive treatment even if you are not free from symptoms even if you have a drug or alcohol dependency Housing shall not be a reward Housing is a human right

Development 2001–2004 Project Homeless 7 cities and 3 voluntary organisations 2005–2007 “The Pathway to a Permanent Home” National strategy

“The Pathway to a Permanent Home” 5 ministries The Norwegian State Housing Bank co-ordinates with SHdir [Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs] county governors participate Joint state regulation Forums Contact committee with cities Regional contact forums Municipality networks for the exchange of experience and ideas Local interdisciplinary co-operation –Housing, health and social, enforcement officers, Norwegian Correctional Services, health enterprises, voluntary organisations, UDI [Norwegian Directorate of Immigration], etc.

General goals of the strategy To help prevent people from becoming homeless To contribute to good quality in overnight shelters To help ensure homeless people rapid offers of permanent housing

Performance targets 2005– % reduction in eviction petitions 30% reduction in the number of evictions Permanent housing solutions upon release from prison or treatment institution Quality agreements for overnight shelters Max. 3 months in temporary housing

The Housing Bank and the strategy The Housing Bank shall coordinate “The Pathway to a Permanent Home” with SHdir Co-operation forums Municipality networks Regional contact forums Contact committee for cities Regional reference groups Proactive function

The job is done in the municipalities State bodies shall Support the municipalities’ work and co-operate with each other Encourage the development of services Assist in the exchange of experience The municipality is the main player Duties derived from the Norwegian Social Services Act

New players The country’s enforcement officers Those applying for evictions: financial institutions lessors housing co-operatives Health enterprises – psychiatry/treatment for drug and alcohol abuse Norwegian Correctional Services – prisons Voluntary organisations

Regional contact forums Participants The Housing Bank – county governors – Norwegian Correctional Services – enforcement offices – health enterprises – UDI Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) and large municipalities The Housing Bank is responsible for their organisation and implementation Assured progress and development Regional seminars

Contact committee for cities The project municipalities which participated in Project Homeless Five ministries, SHdir(Norwegian Board of Health) and The Housing Bank Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development [KRD] organises and co-ordinates To monitor development To co-ordinate R&D work To compile contributions from voluntary and user organisations Contributions to regulatory amendments Peer review Exchange of experience

Municipality network The Housing Bank directs regional networks comprising 115 municipalities in total Exchange of ideas and experience Goal – To develop own practice

Partnerships The government – KS Agreement on measures to prevent and fight homelessness Ministry of Justice – KS Agreement on setting up house on release from prison Norwegian Correctional Services – municipalities Template agreement for social housing work The agreements can be found at

Results from “The Pathway to a Permanent Home” Evictions and eviction petitions fell between 2004 and ,500 households receive housing follow-up as part of the strategy 105 municipalities run initiatives or projects within the strategy 115 participate in municipality network

Rana municipality – The state’s initiative award for the homeless Prepared census and targets Plan under preparation 2003 Attended experience conference Utilised the experience of others Set up a unified offer for the homeless Follow-up adapted to the user group Varied housing offer: own/rent The Housing Bank’s means

Peer review 7–8 September 2006 Assessment of the strategy work Transfer value