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

“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

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

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  1. “The Pathway to a Permanent Home”Strategy for preventing and fighting homelessness Gunnar Sveri

  2. Homelessness in Norway • The world’s best housing standard • One of the world’s highest standards of living

  3. Homeless census • 1996: 6,200 • 2003: 5,200 • 2005: 5.500 • Ref. Norwegian Building Research Institute reports 216/1997 and 371/2004

  4. Vision • Good, safe housing for all.

  5. Housing for all • You shall have an offer of housing • even 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

  6. Development • 2001–2004 Project Homeless • 7 cities and 3 voluntary organisations • 2005–2007 “The Pathway to a Permanent Home” • National strategy

  7. “The Pathway to a Permanent Home” • 5 ministries • The Norwegian State Housing Bank co-ordinates with SHdir [Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs]county governors participate • Joint state regulation • Forums • Contact committee with cities • Regional contact forums • Municipality 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.

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. The Housing Bank and the strategy • The Housing Bank shall coordinate “The Pathway to a Permanent Home” with SHdir • Co-operation forums • Municipality networks • Regional contact forums • Contact committee for cities • Regional reference groups • Proactive function

  11. The job is done in the municipalities • State bodies shall • Support 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 player • Duties derived from the Norwegian Social Services Act

  12. New players • The 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

  13. Regional contact forums • Participants • The Housing Bank – county governors – Norwegian Correctional Services – enforcement offices – health enterprises – UDI • Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) and large municipalities • The Housing Bank is responsible for their organisation and implementation • Assured progress and development • Regional seminars

  14. Contact committee for cities • The project municipalities which participated in Project Homeless • Five ministries, SHdir(Norwegian Board of Health) and The Housing Bank • Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development [KRD] organises and co-ordinates • To monitor development • To co-ordinate R&D work • To compile contributions from voluntary and user organisations • Contributions to regulatory amendments • Peer review • Exchange of experience

  15. Municipality network • The Housing Bank directs regional networks comprising 115 municipalities in total • Exchange of ideas and experience • Goal – To develop own practice

  16. Partnerships • The government – KS • Agreement on measures to prevent and fight homelessness • Ministry of Justice – KS • Agreement on setting up house on release from prison • Norwegian Correctional Services – municipalities • Template agreement for social housing work • The agreements can be found at www.husbanken.no/bostedslose

  17. 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

  18. Rana municipality – The state’s initiative award for the homeless • Prepared census and targets • Plan under preparation 2003 • Attended experience conference • Utilised the experience of others • Set up a unified offer for the homeless • Follow-up adapted to the user group • Varied housing offer: own/rent • The Housing Bank’s means

  19. Peer review • 7–8 September 2006 • Assessment of the strategy work • Transfer value

  20. www.husbanken.no

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