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The number of homeless people in Finland has increased for the first time in 11 years, according to new data from ARA, the Finnish Housing Finance and Development Centre. The report shows that 3,806 people were experiencing homelessness in 2024, an increase of 377 compared to the previous year. The rise comes after more than a decade of steady declines and raises concerns about the country’s long-standing success in tackling homelessness.
A significant increase was recorded in street homelessness, with 694 people counted as living outdoors, in stairwells, or emergency shelters—50% more than the previous year.
“The reversal of this trend is a worrying signal that decision-makers need to take seriously. Behind the figures lies a huge amount of human suffering and unacceptable inequalities,” said Teija Ojankoski, CEO of the Y-Säätiö, a major non-profit landlord in Finland.
Homelessness in Finland remains concentrated in urban areas, with most of the increase reported in Helsinki, Turku, and Tampere. Tampere saw the largest rise, with 117 more people experiencing homelessness. In contrast, Espoo and Vantaa reported declines.
Helsinki, which has been at the forefront of reducing homelessness in Finland, saw an increase of 47 people. The capital has widely adopted the Housing First model, which prioritises providing permanent housing as a solution to homelessness. Despite this, services are struggling to keep up with the rising demand.
“Helsinki undoubtedly has the best homelessness work in the world. Now it seems that so many people end up homeless that services simply cannot keep up,” said Ojankoski.
According to the ARA report, rising rents, cuts to social benefits, and reductions in funding for housing advice services are key drivers behind the increase in homelessness.
Housing advice services, which help prevent evictions, have faced budget cuts, even as demand has surged. In Helsinki, requests for housing advice increased by nearly 80% over the past year.
“Cancelling the cuts in housing advice would be the easiest way to start a corrective movement. It is a proven way to prevent evictions,” Ojankoski stated.
At the same time, many low-income individuals are being forced to move out of their homes due to rising living costs and changes in rent subsidy policies.
“The aim of the reforms was to steer people receiving subsidies towards more affordable housing, but the result is that a number of people are being pushed out and driven into homelessness,” Ojankoski said.
Long-term homelessness remains a persistent challenge, with 1,010 individuals classified as chronically homeless. Meanwhile, youth homelessness is also a concern, with 15% of Finland’s homeless population now under the age of 25. Women account for 22% of the total homeless population.
Foreign-born residents are disproportionately affected, making up 21% of those experiencing homelessness.
One of the biggest challenges remains the lack of small, affordable apartments. More than half of Finland’s homeless population is located in Helsinki, Espoo, Turku, and Tampere. Relative to population size, Turku has the highest homelessness rate, followed by Vaasa and Tampere.
Most homeless individuals (63%) are temporarily staying with friends or relatives, while 10% live in hostels or shelters, and 9% are housed in institutions.
The number of people living outdoors, in stairwells, or emergency shelters has increased sharply, with 694 individuals counted—an increase of 230 from the previous year.
“Street homelessness is the ultimate form of social exclusion. People experiencing street homelessness are outside of services, even if their need for support is greater,” Ojankoski said.
Finland has been widely recognised for its success in reducing homelessness through the Housing First model. The country has steadily reduced homelessness from around 16,000 people in the 1980s to under 4,000 today.
Despite the recent increase, the Finnish government remains committed to its goal of ending long-term homelessness by 2027. A national programme is set to launch this spring, providing over €8 million in funding for local projects.
“The now confirmed data on the rise in homelessness underlines the need for joint programming and local projects. The rise in homelessness also shows that a focus on ending long-term homelessness is not enough if prevention fails,” Ojankoski warned.
Experts argue that Finland already has the knowledge and tools to reverse the trend.
“We know exactly how to make homelessness decrease again. It is a matter of choice: do we want to do it?” Ojankoski said.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
