The use of population register data for defining the homeless in Finland Jari Nieminen Statistics Finland

Topics UN/ECE 2010 Census recommendation: housing arrangements covers the whole population. The EU regulation 763/2008 made it obligatory for the EU Member States To use the population register to estimate and describe homelessness To use the information of other official registers To improve the data quality in the population register Population register as a sample frame (homeless survey) Homeless survey 21/10/20092Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics

Register-based information on homelessness Personal ID (age, sex) Domicile code (place of residence: at least the municipality) History of housing conditions (information on previous permanent residences: address, household information, dwelling size, density, tenure status, and information on the duration of the period when a person does not live at a permanent residence) Information on homeless people in other registers (employment, unemployment, subsides, income, etc.) 21/10/20093Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics

Possibilities to study homelessness Cross-sectional study population register survey Longitudinal study register-based information on previous housing conditions of homeless people Compiling data from various register sources longitudinal or cross-sectional 21/10/20094Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics

People without a permanent residence and the total population in /10/20095Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics Total population ( ) Housing population ( ) Without permanent conventional dwelling (78 867) Persons in Institutions (50 755) Finnish Embassies abroad (600) Without a permanent residence or unknown (27 072) Other unknown (Not homeless) (10 754) Register-based homeless (16 318)

People in the population register not included in the ”register-based homeless population” 21/10/20096Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics Unknown (Not homeless) (10 754) Temporary dwelling (1 935) Owner of Summer house (657) No information in any register used in 2007 (5 239) Not any notification of change of address since 2003 or dead (155) Homeless less than 4 months 2 766

Register-based homeless in 2007 with information from various registers Homeless (16 318) Employed (6 444) Unemployed (3 021) Student (1 092) Pensioner (2 564) Incomes or subsidies (2 304) 0-14 years old (888) 21/10/20097Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics

Difference between the register-based estimate of the homeless and ARA’s* ) figure in some municipalities *) The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland 21/10/20098Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics

Duration of homelessness in months (Homeless at year end 2007) 21/10/20099Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics

Duration of homelessness Duration of the last period of homelessness Total time of being homeless within a year or several years Total number of periods within a year or several years Absolute and relative figures Finnish definition of long-term homelessness: Homeless at least one year (period) At least two times within two years Severe social or health problems 21/10/200910Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics

Homeless survey No decision made (10/2009) Sample could be taken using register-based information on the homeless Collection of data could be done by social and housing authorities (10-15 of the largest municipalities) Valuable information for the population register for updating the register (emigration, etc.) Sample data can also be combined with register data to get more information Only statistical data published using statistical confidentiality and data protection rules 21/10/200911Jari Nieminen/ Population Statistics