Social Services for Homeless People and the Possibility of a National System of Data Collection A research on measuring homelessness in municipalities and in units that encounter homeless people Sari Pitkänen & Juha Kaakinen

Social Development Co The study contains 1)A questionnaire to the cities with largest amount of homeless (22 cities) The questionnaire provided information on the way that homelessness and long-term homelessness are calculated in the cities organisations that provide housing and housing services and which are included in the census of homelessness in these cities measures to reduce long-term homelessness in cities that are not included in the reduction programme

2)A questionnaire to organisations that provide accomodation or housing service The questionnaire provided information on housing level and staff working in these organisations the method that organisations use when collecting information about their clients and the method which they recommend should be used, if a study about homelessness would be made the amount of homeless, long-term homeless, individuals under risk of getting homeless or living long-term in these organisations; descriptions of typical homeless persons in the organisation recommendations how to reduce long-term homelessness Social Development Co

Usually the calculation inmunicipalities is made in co- operation with social services and housing authorities and also with non-profit organisations, and in some municipalities mainly in social services. In calculation of homelessness there is in use various kinds of registers such as client register of social services, application register for rental apartments, register of outsourcing service and client registers of non-profit organisations; also a local questionnaire is in use. There are various practices how people are classified as homeless while staying in temporary accomodation or in institutions. Also the variety of organisations which are taken into account in calculation of homelessness explains the differences in statistics of amount of homelessness in temporary accomodation and in institutions. Models how homelessness is calculated in the cities Social Development Co

Even though Finnish cities use different kinds of models in calculating the amount of homeless, their methods seem to be advanced and produce consistent results With few exceptions estimations of amount of long-term homelessness have been parallel which affirms the methods to be valid in the calculation of homelessness Models used in calculation of homelessness are not in need of change and there is no need to make them identical, because they are planned to fit into local conditions. However, the results show that there is in use different kinds of definions regarding who are calculated as homeless persons in organisations. There is a need to specify who are calculated as homeless persons in temporary accomodation and institutions. Social Development Co

Sector of organisation Answers% Non-profit organisation (association, foundation, parish)14856 Private entrepreneur4718 Municipality or federation of municipalities5220 State156 Total Questionnaire was sent to 661 organisations, 272 responses; response rate was moderate 41 %. 77 % of organisations (210) were units that provide accomodation, housing or institutional care Social Development Co Responses to questionnaire

Answers% Espoo228 Forssa31 Helsinki5721 Hyvinkää83 Hämeenlinna62 Joensuu145 Jyväskylä114 Järvenpää31 Kotka52 Kuopio145 Lahti104 Lappeenranta52 Mikkeli62 Oulu114 Porvoo73 Raisio00 Riihimäki31 Savonlinna41 Tampere3413 Turku187 Vaasa93 Vantaa124 Other104 Total Social Development Co

No homeless people Less than 1/3 Over 1/3AllTotal %Answers Hostel Youth hostel Shelter Residential home Non-institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for substance abusers Day centre Institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders Institutional care for persons with mental disorders Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders and substance abuse Jail Hospital Social and health advice centres Assisted housing Service housing Institutional care for child wellfare Other Homeless clients in organisations Social Development Co

Organisation has homeless clients Organisation has not homeless clients No knowledge about clients homelessnes s Total % Answers Hostel Youth hostel Shelter Residential home Non-institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for substance abusers Day centre Institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders Institutional care for persons with mental disorders Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders and substance abuse Jail Hospital Social and health advice centres Assisted housing Service housing Institutional care for child wellfare Other Social Development Co Long-term homeless clients in organisations

Social Development Co Homeless persons AverageMedianMinMaxAnswers Hostel00002 Youth hostel----0 Shelter Residential home Non-institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for substance abusers Day centre Institutional care for substance abusers Institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders Institutional care for persons with mental disorders Jail Hospital44086 Social and health advice centres Assisted housing Service housing Child wellfare institutional care00002 Other Homeless persons in organisations

Long-term homeless (persons) AverageMedianMinMaxAnswers Hostel Youth hostel Shelter Residential home Non-institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for substance abusers Day centre Institutional care for substance abusers Institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders Institutional care for persons with mental disorders Jail Hospital Social and health advice centres Assisted housing Service housing Institutional care for child wellfare Other 01 Social Development Co Long-term homeless in organisations

At risk of homelessness (persons) AverageMedianMinMaxAnswers Hostel Youth hostel Shelter Residential home Non-institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for substance abusers Day centre Institutional care for substance abusers Institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders Institutional care for persons with mental disorders Jail Hospital Social and health advice centres 21 Assisted housing Service housing Institutional care for child wellfare Other Social Development Co Persons at risk of homelessness in organisations

Staying long-time (persons) AverageMedianMinMaxAnswer s Hostel Youth hostel Shelter Residential home Non-institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for substance abusers Day centre Institutional care for substance abusers Institutional care for substance abusers Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders Institutional care for persons with mental disorders Jail Hospital Social and health advice centres 01 Assisted housing Service housing Institutional care for child wellfare Other Social Development Co Persons staying long-time in organisations

Most homeless people in organisations were long- term homeless. There are less people living long-term in organisations than homeless persons. Least of all there are persons who are at risk of homelessness. Homelessness, risk of homelessness and long-term homelessness are typical for those people accommodating in shelters, residential homes, housing units for people with mental and substance abuse problems and housing unit for substance abusers. There is a lot of long-term homeless clients also in social and health advice centres. Living long-term in organisations is most typical in housing units for people with mental problems. People with mental problems, ex-convicts and recovering substance abusers have commonly accomodation problems e.g. getting independent housing. Social Development Co

Comparison of shares and amounts of homeless and long term homeless people according to the housing market questionnaire and the questionnaire made in the study Homeless people according to questionnaire to organisations (persons) Homeless people according to housing market questionnaire year 2008 (preliminary information) Long-term homeless of homeless persons according to questionnaire to organisations (persons) Long-term homeless of homeless persons according to housing market questionnaire year 2008 (persons) % long-term homeless of homeless persons according to questionnaire to organisations % long-term homeless of persons homelessacco rding to housing market questionnaire year 2008 Espoo Forssa Helsinki Hyvinkää Hämeenlinna Joensuu Jyväskylä Järvenpää Kotka Kuopio Lahti Lappeenranta Mikkeli Oulu Porvoo Riihimäki Savonlinna Tampere Turku Vaasa Vantaa

Homeless persons Outdoors, shelters Hostels and residential homes Rehabilitative units, hospitals, institutions Ex-convictsUnits without accomodation Helsinki ARA Questionnaire Tampere ARA Questionnaire Espoo ARA Questionnaire Vantaa ARA Questionnaire Turku ARA Questionnaire Lahti ARA Questionnaire Jyväskylä ARA Questionnaire Kuopio ARA Questionnaire Joensuu ARA Questionnaire Oulu ARA Questionnaire Homeless according to housing market questionnaire and questionnaire to organisations Social Development Co

Long-term homeless persons Outdoors, shelters Hostels and residential homes Rehabilitative units, hospitals, institutions Ex-convictsUnits without accomodation Helsinki ARA Questionnaire Tampere ARA Questionnaire Espoo ARA Questionnaire Vantaa ARA Questionnaire Turku ARA Questionnaire Lahti ARA Questionnaire Jyväskylä ARA Questionnaire Kuopio ARA Questionnaire Joensuu ARA Questionnaire Oulu ARA Questionnaire Social Development Co Long-term homeless according to housing market questionnaire and questionnaire to organisations

Information is in most cases collected both manually and electrionically (55 %). Information collection manually (23 %) is as usual as collection electronically (21 %) Answers% We could fill a questionnaire about clients with them We could ask a client to fill a questionnare himself 8933 We could fill a questionnaire about clients, but only at organisational level, not at a personal level (client profiles) 4115 We could fill a questionnaire on behalf of clients 249 Other 249 Social Development Co Information collection in organisations Eventual way to collect information in organisation

Organisation has homeless clients * Organisation has not homeless clients ** No knowledge about clients homelessness *** Answers% % % Homelessness Cause of homelessness Duration of homelessness Age Gender Place of domicile Family status Nationality Employment status Source of income Use of intoxicant Mental health problems Other problems to which client needs cure or assistance Use of other service (eg. social and health service) Other * Ratio to amount of organisations that have homeless people 170, ** Ratio to amount of organisations that have not homeless people 86, *** Ratio to amount of organisations without information about clients’ homelessness 11 Social Development Co Information collection in organisations