A housing scheme said to have significantly reduced homelessness in Finland is set to become a ‘guiding philosophy’ in Greater Manchester after a successful pilot.
The ‘Housing First’ approach helps people with chronic experiences of homelessness into homes with no preconditions, and offers ongoing wraparound support to manage issues from mental health problems to substance misuse.
Greater Manchester is the first UK city-region to adopt a Finnish-style Housing First philosophy.
In Finland, where the scheme was introduced in 2007, long-term homelessness has fallen by almost 70%, according to the country’s ambassador to the UK.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority began piloting the ‘pioneering’ approach in 2019, and has since helped 413 people into homes, with about 75% sustaining their tenancies.
Mr Burnham said: ‘Rather than a money-making opportunity, or just a commodity to be bought and sold, we need to see housing as an essential service.
‘Giving everyone a good, safe home would be one of the best investments the country could make, and would take pressure off other public services and public finances.’
‘Housing First has shown that if you give people an unconditional right to safe and secure housing, backed up with personalised support, you set them up to succeed.’
