Home Sweet Home: Can greater trust reduce homelessness?

The RECO research project develops Housing First

A different approach is now gaining ground: Housing First. Here, people without housing are given an apartment immediately and support based on their individual needs, without requirements for sobriety or performance. Housing is therefore not a distant goal to be earned, but the very precondition for change. The results are clear: 75–85 per cent achieve housing stability, compared with 20–25 per cent in the housing staircase, Marcus explains.

– With Housing First, you can also see that a safe and stable situation leads to reduced substance use and better health. When people feel seen as human beings and receive support, they gain the strength to change, he says.

However, there are challenges. It can be difficult to create cross-functional teams when different authorities are involved, to ensure continuity and to avoid the work becoming an isolated effort alongside the rest of the support system. The Forte-funded research project RECO stands for resilient communities through sustainable welfare transformation. The study is led by Marcus, and the researchers are examining how collaboration can develop the model and make it more sustainable. The research may also help build understanding and engagement among both decision-makers and practitioners.

– We have not encountered much political resistance – quite the opposite. We see that when we can demonstrate that something works, people want to be part of driving it forward, he says.

Targeted government grant to increase the use of Housing First

As part of the Government’s homelessness strategy, there is a targeted multi-year government grant to municipalities to increase the use of Housing First. Marcus estimates that the model is now being applied in 110 of the country’s 290 municipalities. Within RECO, the implementation is being followed, as well as how closely the core principles are adhered to.

– Fidelity to the programme is crucial, given the model’s strong impact. Although some local adaptation is often needed, it must always be analysed in relation to outcomes. We also hope to identify opportunities for improvement, he says.

Housing stability alone is not enough as an ambition, Marcus emphasises. It is also important that people who previously lacked housing become part of society. In so-called RECO labs, service users, social services, landlords and care providers will therefore explore together how to reduce the risk of loneliness and address the difficulty of finding meaningful occupation. A key principle in Housing First is to start from users’ own experiences and wishes.

– The tenant has a great deal of power over their situation; that is the whole point. By listening to those with lived experience, it is easier to find the right measures.

The City of Stockholm sees that RECO meets a clear need

Out in the municipalities, the ideas are being put to the test. Ninja Larsson is Head of Housing First in the City of Stockholm. She describes the work as standing on the barricades.

– These are slow-moving organisations and deeply rooted traditions that we are trying to change. But a home should be a means rather than a goal – a right, not something you have to earn. Those who come to us are marked by the system, physically and mentally worn down from being disqualified. You do not stop misusing substances because you are punished; you cannot address your problems if you do not have a fixed point and a sense of security, she says.

The homelessness strategy has led to both reduced resistance and increased resources, Ninja explains. Among other things, Housing First has been able to strengthen its focus on recovery, community and increased participation in society. In collaboration with the association Street Minds, whose board includes people with lived experience of homelessness, an open activity programme is now run.

– It has been very successful. We have many visitors, positive feedback and several study visits, so we hope to inspire more actors, she says.

RECO meets a clear need, Ninja continues, highlighting in particular knowledge dissemination, collaboration and the study of fidelity to the Housing First model.

– It is important to see how we can develop and improve the work. Everything is about benefiting our users. It is remarkable that people who have lived many years on the streets and suffered within our system now say that they are finally being given a chance.

TEXT: Ebba Arnborg