“The Pathway to a Permanent Home”Strategy for preventing and fighting homelessness

Gunnar Sveri

Homelessness in Norway

The world’s best housing standard

One of the world’s highest standards of living

Homeless census

1996: 6,200

2003: 5,200

2005: 5.500

Ref. Norwegian Building Research Institute reports 216/1997 and 371/2004

Vision

Good, safe housing for all.

Housing for all

You shall have an offer of housingeven if you have poor finances

even if you do not want to receive treatment

even if you are not free from symptoms

even if you have a drug or alcohol dependency

Housing shall not be a reward

Housing is a human right

Development

2001–2004 Project Homeless7 cities and 3 voluntary organisations

2005–2007 “The Pathway to a Permanent Home”National strategy

“The Pathway to a Permanent Home”5 ministriesThe Norwegian State Housing Bank co-ordinates with SHdir [Norwegian

Directorate for Health and Social Affairs]county governors participate

Joint state regulationForums

Contact committee with citiesRegional contact forumsMunicipality networks for the exchange of experience and ideas

Local interdisciplinary co-operation– Housing, health and social, enforcement officers, Norwegian Correctional

Services, health enterprises, voluntary organisations, UDI [Norwegian Directorate of Immigration], etc.

General goals of the strategy

To help prevent people from becoming homeless

To contribute to good quality in overnight shelters

To help ensure homeless people rapid offers of permanent housing

Performance targets 2005–2007

50% reduction in eviction petitions

30% reduction in the number of evictions

Permanent housing solutions upon release from prison or treatment institution

Quality agreements for overnight shelters

Max. 3 months in temporary housing

The Housing Bank and the strategy

The Housing Bank shall coordinate “The Pathway to a Permanent Home” with SHdir

Co-operation forumsMunicipality networks

Regional contact forums

Contact committee for cities

Regional reference groups

Proactive function

The job is done in the municipalities

State bodies shallSupport the municipalities’ work and co-operate with each other

Encourage the development of services

Assist in the exchange of experience

The municipality is the main playerDuties derived from the Norwegian Social Services Act

New playersThe country’s enforcement officers

Those applying for evictions:financial institutions

lessors

housing co-operatives

Health enterprises – psychiatry/treatment for drug and alcohol abuse

Norwegian Correctional Services – prisons

Voluntary organisations

Regional contact forumsParticipants

The Housing Bank – county governors – Norwegian Correctional Services – enforcement offices – health enterprises – UDINorwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) and large municipalities

The Housing Bank is responsible for their organisation and implementation

Assured progress and developmentRegional seminars

Contact committee for citiesThe project municipalities which participated in Project HomelessFive ministries, SHdir(Norwegian Board of Health) and The Housing

BankMinistry of Local Government and Regional Development [KRD]

organises and co-ordinatesTo monitor developmentTo co-ordinate R&D workTo compile contributions from voluntary and user organisationsContributions to regulatory amendmentsPeer reviewExchange of experience

Municipality network

The Housing Bank directs regional networks comprising 115 municipalities in total

Exchange of ideas and experience

Goal – To develop own practice

Partnerships

The government – KSAgreement on measures to prevent and fight homelessness

Ministry of Justice – KSAgreement on setting up house on release from prison

Norwegian Correctional Services – municipalitiesTemplate agreement for social housing work

The agreements can be found at www.husbanken.no/bostedslose

Results from “The Pathway to a Permanent Home”

Evictions and eviction petitions fell between 2004 and 2005

2,500 households receive housing follow-up as part of the strategy

105 municipalities run initiatives or projects within the strategy

115 participate in municipality network

Rana municipality – The state’s initiative award for the homeless

Prepared census and targetsPlan under preparation 2003Attended experience conferenceUtilised the experience of othersSet up a unified offer for the homeless

Follow-up adapted to the user groupVaried housing offer: own/rentThe Housing Bank’s means

Peer review

7–8 September 2006

Assessment of the strategy work

Transfer value

www.husbanken.no