Finland's Housing First Model: A Contrast to Ireland's Homelessness Crisis
Finland's Housing First Model, which treats housing as a human right, has significantly reduced homelessness, contrasting sharply with Ireland's escalating crisis. While Finland saves money by housing people, Ireland spends heavily on emergency accommodation amid rising homelessness and evictions. Critics argue Irish government policies exacerbate the issue, leading to a normalization of the crisis.
A Finnish visitor to Germany was shocked by visible homelessness, prompting a comparison to Ireland's severe housing crisis. While Finland ensures everyone has an affordable home, Ireland faces an estimated 300,000 people without homes, including rough sleepers and those in emergency accommodation.
Finland's Housing First Model, which eradicated rough sleeping by 2018 and reduced long-term homelessness by 35% since 2008, treats housing as a human right. This approach is also economically beneficial, saving €14,000 per person annually compared to Ireland's €180,000 cost for hosting one family in emergency accommodation. Despite a slight recent rise, Finland's 4,579 homeless individuals are a stark contrast to Ireland's figures, given similar populations.
Ireland's housing crisis has seen a 70% rise in emergency accommodation use since 2019, with spending on homelessness increasing by 286% to €563.5 million by 2025, 75% of which goes to private emergency accommodation. Rents have risen 40% and prices 47% in six years, with a 50% increase in eviction notices in the first three months of this year compared to last. Critics argue government policies prioritize tax cuts and developer handouts over building council homes, suggesting the crisis is a deliberate outcome.
Activist Martin Leahy's four-year protest, performing «Everyone Should Have A Home» weekly outside Dáil Éireann, highlights public sentiment. This message, amplified through art, resonates with many, though some xenophobic views also emerge. The persistence of the crisis, despite public concern, is attributed to a normalization of homelessness and a focus on individual blame rather than systemic change.