1. 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 27.02.2009

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Sector of organisation Answers% Non-profit organisation (association, foundation, parish)14856 Private entrepreneur4718 Municipality or federation of municipalities5220 State156 Total262100 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

7. Answers% Espoo228 Forssa31 Helsinki5721 Hyvinkää83 Hämeenlinna62 Joensuu145 Jyväskylä114 Järvenpää31 Kotka52 Kuopio145 Lahti104 Lappeenranta52 Mikkeli62 Oulu114 Porvoo73 Raisio00 Riihimäki31 Savonlinna41 Tampere3413 Turku187 Vaasa93 Vantaa124 Other104 Total272100 Social Development Co

9. No homeless people Less than 1/3 Over 1/3AllTotal %Answers Hostel 100000 2 Youth hostel ----0 Shelter 17 33 1006 Residential home 0013881008 Non-institutional care for substance abusers 27649010011 Assisted housing unit for substance abusers 314473610036 Day centre 0435701007 Institutional care for substance abusers 538481010021 Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders 74179010023 Institutional care for persons with mental disorders 6313 1008 Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders and substance abuse 815235410013 Jail 050 010012 Hospital 17503301006 Social and health advice centres ----0 Assisted housing 362173610014 Service housing 6703301003 Institutional care for child wellfare 100000 2 Other 5000 1002 Homeless clients in organisations Social Development Co

10. Organisation has homeless clients Organisation has not homeless clients No knowledge about clients homelessnes s Total % Answers Hostel 01000 2 Youth hostel 50 01002 Shelter 712901007 Residential home 10000 8 Non-institutional care for substance abusers 48401210025 Assisted housing unit for substance abusers 8381010040 Day centre 60251510020 Institutional care for substance abusers 7030010023 Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders 2171810038 Institutional care for persons with mental disorders 2080010010 Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders and substance abuse 5821 10019 Jail 7121710014 Hospital 564401009 Social and health advice centres 10000 5 Assisted housing 6931010016 Service housing 208001005 Institutional care for child wellfare 01000 3 Other 50 01002 Social Development Co Long-term homeless clients in organisations

11. Social Development Co Homeless persons AverageMedianMinMaxAnswers Hostel00002 Youth hostel----0 Shelter16100315 Residential home674382608 Non-institutional care for substance abusers 144015020 Assisted housing unit for substance abusers 13803936 Day centre258216413 Institutional care for substance abusers 10505021 Institutional care for substance abusers 5005022 Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders 400188 Institutional care for persons with mental disorders 13 03514 Jail3225210011 Hospital44086 Social and health advice centres 103 62002 Assisted housing5502011 Service housing300103 Child wellfare institutional care00002 Other35 0702 Homeless persons in organisations

12. Long-term homeless (persons) AverageMedianMinMaxAnswers Hostel 00002 Youth hostel 3---1 Shelter 23 17304 Residential home 493371506 Non-institutional care for substance abusers 112010014 Assisted housing unit for substance abusers 11603933 Day centre 1542908 Institutional care for substance abusers 7303019 Institutional care for substance abusers 3002624 Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders 300188 Institutional care for persons with mental disorders 141003511 Jail 13100509 Hospital 21088 Social and health advice centres 430104 Assisted housing 10603514 Service housing 300103 Institutional care for child wellfare 00002 Other 01 Social Development Co Long-term homeless in organisations

13. At risk of homelessness (persons) AverageMedianMinMaxAnswers Hostel 0---1 Youth hostel ----0 Shelter 00002 Residential home 19150605 Non-institutional care for substance abusers ----0 Assisted housing unit for substance abusers 2001524 Day centre 33062 Institutional care for substance abusers 3201618 Institutional care for substance abusers 000523 Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders 00007 Institutional care for persons with mental disorders 100211 Jail 9802511 Hospital 12035 Social and health advice centres 21 Assisted housing 10025 Service housing 00004 Institutional care for child wellfare 00013 Other 10 0202 Social Development Co Persons at risk of homelessness in organisations

14. Staying long-time (persons) AverageMedianMinMaxAnswer s Hostel 00002 Youth hostel 3---1 Shelter 21160507 Residential home 301001537 Non-institutional care for substance abusers 0---1 Assisted housing unit for substance abusers 12306035 Day centre 22032 Institutional care for substance abusers 1001020 Institutional care for substance abusers 11904226 Assisted housing unit for persons with mental disorders 26200848 Institutional care for persons with mental disorders 9505013 Jail 00007 Hospital 00004 Social and health advice centres 01 Assisted housing 12803512 Service housing 32 0624 Institutional care for child wellfare 880162 Other 12 0242 Social Development Co Persons staying long-time in organisations

15. 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

16. 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 1794861543858679 Forssa 133810207753 Helsinki 913315049115915451 Hyvinkää 757458447759 Hämeenlinna 475117 3633 Joensuu 7010342856083 Jyväskylä 167143111556638 Järvenpää 2074541727023 Kotka 1310111408540 Kuopio 4018635338818 Lahti 66208541088252 Lappeenranta 254711184438 Mikkeli 3285252782 Oulu 11121750170045 Porvoo 325512263847 Riihimäki 268220587771 Savonlinna 14380205 Tampere 6116082532144135 Turku 1723471032456071 Vaasa 5331280530 Vantaa 182611951405223

17. Homeless persons Outdoors, shelters Hostels and residential homes Rehabilitative units, hospitals, institutions Ex-convictsUnits without accomodation Helsinki ARA 8069035040- Questionnaire 0487169110147 Tampere ARA 36381259- Questionnaire 31131820385 Espoo ARA 40716812- Questionnaire 300116033 Vantaa ARA 3221579- Questionnaire 00102080 Turku ARA 13-2431- Questionnaire 00119350 Lahti ARA 3040504 Questionnaire 006600 Jyväskylä ARA 133817- Questionnaire 00170150 Kuopio ARA 127863- Questionnaire 1005250 Joensuu ARA 1-464- Questionnaire 0043270 Oulu ARA 46-712- Questionnaire 00100 Homeless according to housing market questionnaire and questionnaire to organisations Social Development Co

18. Long-term homeless persons Outdoors, shelters Hostels and residential homes Rehabilitative units, hospitals, institutions Ex-convictsUnits without accomodation Helsinki ARA 7045035030- Questionnaire 0280165541 Tampere ARA 23-411- Questionnaire 2771050114 Espoo ARA 3554506- Questionnaire 30011905 Vantaa ARA ----- Questionnaire 009500 Turku ARA ----- Questionnaire 009904 Lahti ARA 203040-- Questionnaire 005103 Jyväskylä ARA ----- Questionnaire 00110100 Kuopio ARA ----- Questionnaire 0317150 Joensuu ARA 1-35-- Questionnaire 0032100 Oulu ARA 28-31-- Questionnaire 170000 Social Development Co Long-term homeless according to housing market questionnaire and questionnaire to organisations

19. 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 15858 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

20. Organisation has homeless clients * Organisation has not homeless clients ** No knowledge about clients homelessness *** Answers% % % Homelessness 132782124327 Cause of homelessness 78461315327 Duration of homelessness 66391214218 Age 159946677982 Gender 156926778982 Place of domicile 154916778873 Family status 138816171873 Nationality 1207147556 Employment status 128753338655 Source of income 124734856764 Use of intoxicant 149885665982 Mental health problems 132785969873 Other problems to which client needs cure or assistance 140825665764 Use of other service (eg. social and health service) 127755766655 Other 33191619218 * 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