In the past, many requirements have been placed on homeless people in order to get a rental contract – for example, that they must be drug-free.
Housing first is a relatively new concept originating in New York that is based on the opposite – that people have the right to their own home and that you need safe housing to be able to do something about your life’s problems.
It is used successfully in Finland, where the aim is to abolish homelessness completely by 2027. Seven municipalities in Kronoberg and Kalmar County applied for and received grants: Alvesta, Hultsfred, Högsby, Ljungby, Mörbylånga, Uppvidinge and Västervik.
Alvesta received the most money for Bostad first
Alvesta received the highest amount – SEK 915,900 – and during the year it has been used to bring together various actors around the project.
However, it has not yet led to any homeless getting a first-hand contract.
Carola Johansson, head of department IFO at the municipality, says she understands if there would be critical voices that nothing more concrete has happened.
– But this is how the politicians have decided that we should work, she says, and continues:
– We aim to offer homeless first-hand contracts in 2024.
Although Bostad has not yet started, Alvesta municipality has seen a reduction in the number of homeless people – down from 46.3 per 10,000 inhabitants in 2017 to 10.4 per 10,000 in 2023.