The “Housing First” pilot project will be implemented in several Warsaw districts. The project leader is the Cooperation Fund Foundation, and the project partners are: The Y-Foundation from Finland, the Housing Policy Office of the Capital City of Warsaw, and the “Home First Poland” Foundation.
During the seminar, the Finnish partners will share their experiences and present the main principles of this innovative method and the factors that have determined its effectiveness in Finland.
The five main principles of the Housing First initiative are: housing, decision-making, recovery, support, and community. From collective shelters to “Housing First”
Research shows that the current model of helping permanently homeless people with mental illness, despite the significant investment of time and resources in providing intervention and social support, is proving ineffective. This is evidenced by the numerous stays of the same people in successive shelters, frequent hospitalizations, police interventions, arrests, unenforceable debts, and the helplessness of aid workers, ultimately resulting in a return to life on the streets.
In Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, and many European countries, the NM method has proven effective and cost-effective in permanently transitioning extremely marginalized people to a full and dignified life in independent apartments.
Programs using this method have also been launched in Hungary and the Czech Republic, but data on their effectiveness is not yet available.
“When you have shelters, you can have shelter from the storm, but you need a home to lead a decent life,” – @JKaakinen, chief executive of the Y Foundation, told Euronews.
“Shelters can provide shelter from the storm, but to lead a decent life, you need a home,” said Juha Kaakinen in an interview with Euronews. Zapisy na seminarium oraz agenda – TUTAJ.
Projekt współfinansowany ze środków UE
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Juha Kaakinen is Chief Executive Officer of Y-Foundation since 2013 (expert member of the Board of Y-Foundation 1986-2003), the biggest Finnish NGO acquiring flats from the private market for homeless people and providing social housing.
Juha holds a Master of Arts from the University of Helsinki. From 2008- 2012, he worked for the Finnish Ministry of the Environment as Program Leader of the National Program to reduce long-term homelessness 2008-2012. He was also the Secretary of the working Group of “Wise People” appointed by the Ministry of Housing to formulate the basic principles for the Homelessness Reduction Program. From 1990- 2011, he was CEO of Sosiaalikehitys Oy (Social Development Ltd), a Research and Development Company owned by 11 municipalities).
Juha has written over 50 research papers, articles and evaluation reports on social services, employment projects and policies and homelessness issues.
