Finland’s “Housing First” model : an inspiration for addressing homelessness

By admin3485, 7 August 2026

Finland has developed the “Housing First” approach as the second—and primary—pillar of its housing policy. Instead of placing homeless individuals in temporary emergency shelters while they wait to find their own homes—a process that often proves to be an uphill battle, as the lack of stable temporary housing and—for some—underlying psychological issues prevent them from securing employment and, consequently, permanent housing—Finland assigns them a home as quickly as possible.

Alongside this, the country provides medical, psychological, and financial support, as well as training. While this generous policy entails high upfront costs, the results speak for themselves: the number of homeless people has dropped significantly. Today, thanks to savings made on temporary shelters (which are gradually being replaced by actual homes), Finland spends only 0.9% of its GDP on housing assistance, whereas the United Kingdom, for instance, spends 1.4% for far less effective results. European governments appear to have taken note of Finland’s “Housing First” model; however, unless this policy is implemented at a national level and backed by a significant boost in investment, it is unrealistic to expect the same results seen in Finland—results that are desperately needed by the 900,000 Europeans who will be sleeping rough tonight.