My Basket. Last updated September 25, Homelessness is the ultimate product of a broken housing system, but World Habitat knows that there are beacons of excellence that provide hope for everyone working to end street homelessness. In cities across the world with very different housing contexts, beacons are needed to help everyone learn and benefit from outstanding housing solutions.
We believe that solutions are not confined to the place they were developed in but can be adapted or used to inspire emerging good practice around the world. The first of these Beacon Cities spotlighted is Helsinki, Finland. In the mids, there were around 20, single homeless people in Finland. According to national estimates, in this figure had reduced to around 3, Finland is the only country in the European Union to see homelessness numbers significantly decrease.
The progress in Finland demonstrates what can be achieved with national backing, prioritisation of ending homelessness and working in partnership. Unlike many global capital cities where access to housing and the financialisation of housing has led to catastrophic housing inequality, the aforementioned municipal housing policies and commitment to ongoing housing supply have ensured that Helsinki remains a shining light.
But to ensure an increase in housing supply positively impacts the most vulnerable in society, this need to be combined with an effective and targeted housing intervention guided by clear principles based on the right to housing.
Finland was an early adopter of the Housing First approach. But housing comes first. The core and very simple principle is that people are better able to move forward with their lives if they are first housed. It ensures that when homelessness is experienced, it is rare, brief and non-recurring. It is often argued that moving from a staircase system where a progression from shelters to temporary accommodation and finally long-term housing is the norm to a Housing First model is expensive.
