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The biggest increases in evictions were in big cities, and one non-governmental organization said cuts to housing subsidies were a factor.
According to the Finnish Enforcement Service, there has been a sharp increase in evictions in the first half of this year.
In larger cities such as Helsinki, Turku, Tampere and Jyväskylä, the increases were even greater.
There has been a noticeable change in the work of homelessness charity No Fixed Abode, according to the organisation’s communications director. Eja Morotaja.
“The government cuts in the first half of the year were evident in our services and clients even during the summer,” Morotaja said. “We had a lot of new clients in our counselling services and day centres.”
Low-income workers become new customer group
Morotaja said social security cuts had led to a new group of people seeking housing assistance: the working poor. Many of them had received letters from Kela explaining that housing subsidies would be reduced.
“These people work in low-paid and odd jobs,” Morotaja said. “They no longer have money to pay rent. They already receive housing allowance, but Kela sent them a letter telling them that the apartment they live in is too expensive. The rent may be 10, 20 or 50 euros above the standard. People are worried.”
She said it was difficult to find cheap rental housing in the capital region, leaving low-income people with few options.
Morotaha said those who have jobs never thought they would have to worry about homelessness.
“They don’t even necessarily know where to go for help,” Morotaja said. “They live with relatives or acquaintances, and the hidden homeless don’t show up in statistics or services.”
There is a high level of hidden homelessness in the summer because during the warmer months, people are more likely to choose to stay in shelters with friends, relatives or people they have never known before.
Morotaya said this could put women and sexual minorities at risk of abuse.
Most of the homeless are men, but charities are seeing increasing numbers of women, young people and migrants. For example, many people from the Baltic states and other countries work in construction and live in shared accommodation, which is then reclaimed when job opportunities dwindle.
Seeking help promptly can avoid lengthy eviction proceedings
Morotaja stressed that evictions can usually be avoided as long as tenants seek help promptly, and that rent arrears can be negotiated.
No Fixed Abode is currently running a “Stop Evictions” campaign, which aims to prevent people from falling into homelessness by helping them before their situation deteriorates to the point where they lose their home.
“You can hear from clients about the increase in evictions,” Morotaja said. “When someone seeks our services, they are often under threat of eviction or fear they will be evicted soon. When someone is behind on rent and can’t pay it back, it’s difficult to find a rental apartment.”
“These things make people worried and scared,” she said.
Finland has made great efforts to reduce the number of homeless people, and the proportion of homeless people has dropped significantly.
In 1987, the number of homeless people was 20,000, and by the end of 2023, the number had fallen to about 3,500. Morotaja said she was concerned that the number could continue to rise as the government cuts spending.
“Some of the people we meet are in difficult situations because of multiple crises,” Morotaja said. “Being homeless is really emotionally draining. It creates insecurity and fear and affects your health.”
Homelessness can be caused by substance abuse or mental health issues, but changes in life circumstances, such as illness or divorce, can also lead to financial hardship. Many people who are evicted already have low incomes.
According to the Finnish Housing and Development Centre, around 90% of evictions are due to rent arrears. Other common reasons for evictions include anti-social behaviour, breach of the tenancy agreement, poor maintenance of the property or unauthorised subletting.
The eviction process is long and expensive, costing around €6,000 to €10,000. These costs are paid by the landlord.
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