Homeless people had built makeshift homes in the middle of Finland's capital city. They were exposed to harsh weather conditions. Since the 1980s, Finnish governments had been trying to reduce homelessness with the building of short-term shelters.
Meanwhile, Finland committed to eradicating homelessness several years ago, and the statistics in that country show it's working. What is Finland's plan to eradicate homelessness? Since several years, homelessness has decreased in Finland, and the current government has a plan to end homelessness completely by 2027.
In conclusion, while it may not have the smallest homeless population or the lowest rate of homelessness in the world, Finland is the country that handles homelessness the best.
The process of deinstitutionalization involved the elimination of mental institutions, which then led to an increase of people living the street. Denmark, in comparison, worked on improving mental institutions (Hansen 115), which resulted in a lower rate of homelessness (Benjaminsen and Dyb 49).
Nobody Sleeps on the Streets in Iceland
Sure, there are homeless people in this country, but they usually spend their nights in shelters, not sleeping roughly on the streets, and not begging for money. People simply wouldn't survive sleeping outside during the Icelandic winters.
An investigation by the Norwegian National Institution for Human Rights (NIM) has concluded that the law violates fundamental human rights. In 2013, the city introduced an absolute ban on anyone sleeping in public places, which has even covered sleeping in cars.
"The cost of living is increasing. Not only that, but the housing market in Switzerland has been under pressure for years," he said in an interview with SRF. An increasing number of homeless people in Switzerland come from abroad, where they have fled from conflict and other hardships.
Homelessness can be solved through providing more safe and affordable housing, ensuring people's incomes allow them to afford housing and other essentials, and providing support where needed for people to get into and sustain a home.
In mainland China, the government manages the homeless in cities in three ways: sending them back to their hometowns, providing them with temporary shelters, and driving them off.
A Scandinavian country is close to eliminating homelessness with a simple solution. Communities around the world are racing to copy it. The number of homeless in Helsinki sank to around 2,200 earlier this year, putting the Finnish capital on track to eliminate homelessness by 2025.
Japan's strict drug laws, mental health systems and housing options contribute to the countries low homeless population.
Oftentimes, the homeless will set up their shelters along remote locations such as riverbanks. If the homeless have shelter in crowded areas like subway stations, they will remove themselves during peak hours.
California, Vermont, and Oregon have the highest rates of homelessness across the 50 states. About 582,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness, according to 2022 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data.
Domestic and family violence statistics in Australia:
Domestic and family violence was the main reason why more than 72,900 people sought assistance from a specialist homelessness service last year. One in six women, compared to 1 in 16 men, have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner.
A major success of these Government led initiatives was the conversion of existing homeless shelters into permanent housing. Programmes have been developed and implemented through wide partnerships between the state, municipalities and local NGOs.
While there is no explicit national strategy to address homelessness, there have been calls for an integrated housing provision strategy in which the state, region and municipality are all jointly responsible for providing adequate housing.
Of the 122,494 people experiencing homelessness in Australia in 2021: Two in five (39.1%) were living in 'severely' crowded dwellings. One in five (19.8%) were in supported accommodation for the homeless.
Lastly, homeless people may also be those who live in unconventional properties such as caravans and camper trailers. However, what is certain is that Japan is the only country in the world with a homeless population rate of around 0%.
Homelessness is relatively nonexistent in Singapore due to the government building cheap (read: dirt-cheap) rental flats for the poor. The poor generally work in blue-collar jobs that pay them enough to live in these flats.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows homelessness is surging. New figures show nearly 123,000 people were without a home on Census night 2021 - around 6,000 more than at the previous count in 2016. It represents a 5.2 per cent lift in homelessness over five years.
Eligible recipients who have difficulty managing their finances to the end of a fortnight may include those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, with mental health issues, or gambling and/or substance addictions. Some victims of domestic violence may also be offered weekly payments.
In an average year, Red Cross helps 2,180 people to find housing, supports 1,360 people at risk of becoming homeless, and provides 43,400 meals to people experiencing hardship.
The Constitution of Finland mandates that public authorities "promote the right of everyone to housing". In addition, the constitution grants Finnish citizens "the right to receive indispensable subsistence and care", if needed. Since 2002, the Night of the Homeless event has been hosted throughout the country.
Housing is a fundamental human right, Parliament notes, but every night more than 700,000 people are sleeping rough in Europe, an increase of 70% over the last 10 years. The Covid-19-crisis puts homeless people at additional risk, as they disproportionally suffer poor health and lack access to hygiene and health care.
Country statistics
Housing prices having increased homelessness significantly, and although there are more houses being built, they are not affordable (Borgen Project, 2020). The estimated number of homeless people in Sweden in 2020 was 33,000 (Stadsmissionen, 2021).