There are some issues within politics that seem unsolvable. In Britain it seems like anyone who tries to end poverty, hunger, or homelessness will just fall short of their goal. Yet, in Finland there is no such defeatist attitude. Not only has this Scandinavian nation reduced homelessness, but they’ve almost ended it entirely!
You only need to look at the stats to see the drastic difference in homelessness between Finland and the UK. Over here, the number of homeless people is increasing year on year with no signs of slowing down. More than a thousand miles to the north in snowy Finland however, homelessness had been falling for decades and almost no one is sleeping rough.
So, what are we getting so badly wrong? And what can we learn from the Fins to end the scourge of homelessness in the UK? For a start we simply don’t have enough homes for people to live in. We also have a warped approach to dealing with people who find themselves without a residence. We have an issue of prioritisation and don’t provide homes until other issues – like addiction – have been dealt with. Our system also requires those sleeping rough to seek help in a homeless hostel or temporary accommodation before a permanent home can be considered.
In Finland the approach couldn’t be more different. Progress has been achieved in large part through a program known as “Housing First”. The scheme focuses on providing secure accommodation beforeattempting to deal with underlying problems that may have caused homelessness in the first place – like drink or drugs. Housing First is more than a home it is total wraparound support for people who need it. With the stability the scheme provides people can focus on developing new skills, finding jobs, and getting their lives back on track.
So how can we implement these lessons in the UK? Well, it’s already happening albeit on a limited scale. Cranstoun, one of our partners at Centre Think Tank, already run a housing first style scheme in Birmingham. The focus is on access to education, harm reduction, and after care support. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have all also pursued such schemes along with others in England.
It would be easy for the government in Westminster to set up a national housing first scheme in England. They should accompany this with more funding for housing first programs in the other parts of the UK. Alongside the public and private organisations already doing work on the ground this would have a real chance of sending homelessness into steep decline.
This doesn’t mean we can ignore the underlying problem in the UK – the acute lack of houses. Without many more new houses, flats, and renovations we will continue to see large numbers of people remaining homeless. You can’t do housing first unless there are houses for people to go to. These homes can take many forms. New builds in cities that desperately need them, garden cities with good transport links in more rural areas, renovations of existing homes and incentives for people to downsize from houses that are too big.
The lesson from Finland is clear. We must pair a housing first approach to homelessness with a significant expansion of the supply of housing. If our politicians are serious about ending homelessness, they must be brave, learn from Finland and act now.
