Life After Achieving National Homelessness Targets
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1. The document discusses Finland's efforts to reduce homelessness through national target-setting programs in 1987-1991 and 2008-2015. 2. The 1987-1991 program aimed to abolish homelessness and saw reductions through multi-level support and pressure from new laws, organizations, and funding. 3. The 2008-2015 program targeted long-term homelessness, creating new housing and support through increased funding, letters of intent with cities, and diffusion of concepts like Housing First. Long-term homelessness decreased significantly in target cities.
Life After Achieving National Homelessness Targets
- 1. Peter Fredriksson Senior Adviser Ministry of the Environment Finland Bergamo 24.10.2014 Life after achieving national homelessness targets
- 2. Can You Lead with Targets ? 1. Can you see any significant correlation between the process of target – setting and the results in a government – led programme ? 2. Is there a balance between target – setting of the new programme (2016 - ) and available policy, economic and social instruments ?
- 3. Government programme 1987 - 1991 •Target of the government programme (1987-1991) to abolish homelessness, formulated also in the national plans of housing and social and health care BOTTOM – UP PRESSURE AND SUPPORT •New law on the development of housing conditions contains first legal paragraph on the tasks and duties of the municipalities in dealing with homelessness •More extensive and centralized role of the municipalities (obligatory local housing programmes) •Catalytic initiatives of new actors – Y-foundation, Diaconia Institute, Church, A-clinics, Settlement movement, Associations (Youth housing, Mental patients, Homeless etc) •New constitution (1995) – basic economic, social and civic rights including the right to housing
- 4. Continue •TOP – DOWN PRESSURE AND SUPPORT •Common definition, yearly statistical survey by responsible authorities •The new state finance system in the social and health sector gave municipalities the right to set priorities instead of earmarked money by the state •New funding instruments: buying small appartments from the housing stock and converting them to independent rented flats for homeless ; targeted loans and grants to houses accomadated only by homeless people
- 5. Continue •HORIZONTAL PRESSURE AND SUPPORT •Collective learning – developing of new concepts: division of physical facilities and service provision, rerenting-model, homebased care and support, housing counselling, self-help, foyer etc. •Competition - Municipalities were given right to use different alternatives in providing support services: •(1) own production •(2) buying from private sector •(3) buying from third sector
- 6. Conclusions •Abolishing homelessness “earned” in the government programme only one short sentence without any time limits or any quantitative or qualitative subtargets •Nonetheless, homelessness was decreased during 1987 – 1994, under seven consecutive years from about 19 000 persons in 1987 into about 12 000 persons in 1994 •Homelessness was adressed by both general and special instruments of housing and social policies •The period started a structural change in the housing and support services for homeless people and it led to a new system, which lasted with minor adjustments about 15 years, until the middle of the first decade of the new century
- 7. Government programme for longterm homelessness 2008 - 2015 •Putting long-term homelessness down to half by 2011 and ending it by 2015 •Need to address long-term homelessness, which has not diminished along the general decreasing of homelessness •BOTTOM UP – PRESSURE AND SUPPORT •Reinforcing Housing first – approach as a mainstream organizing principle for the accomodation and support services of homeless people •Letters of intent with 10 biggest cities: special status, right to get state and Slott Machine funding and extra human resources for support work
- 8. Continue •TOP – DOWN PRESSURE AND SUPPORT •Increases in state expenditure (2008 – 2014): •investment grants to construction and renovation projects under the programme, €100 million, maximum 50 % of approved costs •state funding for personnel expenditure for the programme, about €20 million •Slott Machine Association: grants for acquiring individual flats for homeless persons and project-funding, althogether about €70 million •State grants to local authorities for the development of housing advisory services •Letters of intent: municipalities are obliged to give sites to and fund new housing units and support services to homeless population •Conversion of all shelters into supported housing
- 9. Continue •HORIZONTAL PRESSURE AND SUPPORT •Low threshold service centers established in several cities: round-the-clock service, tailored evaluation of individual needs for housing and support services, environmental work in the surrounding areas with inhabitants, schools, day-centres, business sector •New concepts and new operators: preventive work for young persons with multiproblems; supportive housing pathways for ex-offenders etc •National concept competition in 2009 to establish new types of accommodation unit and services for the long-term homeless.
- 10. Conclusions •Number of new flats built or acquired for longterm homeless single persons is 2300 (in 2013) – target is 2 500 (2015) •Overal homelessness has decreased from 8 000 (2008) to 7 500 (2013) •Longterm homelessness has decreased from 2 900 (2008) to 2100 (2013) •City of Helsinki has built about 1 000 new flats, but reduction of longterm homeless is in the same period only 176 persons > we need 5.6 new flats to accommodate one longterm homeless person ! •New support personal (social workers, housing advicers etc) has been recruited 350 •Main differences compared to previous programme: more multi-interest engagement, letter of intents replacing obligatory local programmes, huge input in horizontal diffusion and learning
- 11. Longterm homeless persons in Letter of Intent – Cities 2008 - 2013 2008 2013 Helsinki 1591 1415 Espoo 385 223 Vantaa 140 150 Tampere 214 72 Turku 245 149 Lahti 108 57 Jyväskylä 55 33 Kuopio 33 13 Joensuu 85 21 Oulu 50 27 All together 2906 2160
- 12. IDEAS & CONCEPTS PILOTS & TESTING PUT TO USE SCALING & DIFFUSION P R E V E N T I N G H O M E L E S S N E S S Housing First Light support Housing Advice & Counselling Outreach work, Young persons Housingsocial care & Rehabilitation Multisectoral local Housing led networks Funding models, Public and private Low threshold Service centers Letter of Intent model Housing related Debt counselling Housing included in Youth guarantee
- 13. IDEAS & CONCEPTS PILOTS & TESTING PUT TO USE SCALING & DIFFUSION P R E V E N T I N G H O M E L E S S N E S S Housing support for immigrants Network of Useful Evidence Experienced in homelessness Professional & Voluntary training
- 14. IDEAS & CONCEPTS PILOTS & TESTING PUT TO USE SCALING & DIFFUSION P U T T I N G S T O P TO R E N E W A L OF H O M E L E S S N E S S Housing First Intensive support Housingsocial work Intensive support Experienced in homelessness Flexible support services Work Rehabilitation Service centres for Evaluation & Rehousing Crises Housing Models