Finland Solved Homelessness: Here's How (Spoiler: It's More Than Housing First)
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- Опубликовано: 22 дек 2023
- Finland's remarkable success in reducing homelessness is often credited to the innovative Housing First approach. This model offers stable housing as the primary intervention, complemented by essential support services to address the root causes of homelessness and help individuals rebuild their lives. Amid the escalating homelessness crisis in the United States, evidence-backed solutions like Housing First often take a back seat to counterproductive measures like criminalizing poverty and conducting homeless sweeps. While skeptics argue that Finland's achievements cannot be replicated in America, Invisible People embarked on a transformative journey to Helsinki, Finland, to explore the potential of implementing the Housing First approach on a large scale in the United States. What's even more striking is that Housing First was born in America. Yet, Finland has embraced it and witnessed an incredible reduction in homelessness, plummeting from over 20,000 homeless people to less than 4,000 in just a decade.
Countless media outlets have highlighted Finland's achievements in homelessness reduction, with the Housing First model at the forefront. However, our investigation uncovered that the Finnish approach goes beyond Housing First. Finland's strategy involves prioritizing the development of affordable housing and cultivating a culture genuinely dedicated to improving homeless services to house people quickly and permanently. While Housing First has played a significant role in their success, it's just one piece of the puzzle.
Unlike the United States, where the emphasis often lies solely on housing placement, Finland recognizes that people need more than just a roof over their heads to thrive. In Finland, they prioritize placing the individual within the housing unit, ensuring that they have a sense of purpose rather than merely survival.
Invisible People is known for its dedication to telling the authentic stories of homelessness, offering viewers a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the lives of those experiencing it firsthand. In this special episode, we take our commitment to authenticity to the next level by providing the most genuine and comprehensive look into Housing First that has ever been captured on video. Our mission is to shed light on the realities of homelessness, challenge preconceptions, and explore viable solutions. Join us as we dive deep into Finland's remarkable approach, presenting an authentic narrative that showcases the transformative power of compassionate policies and affordable housing.
Special thanks for support in Finland:
Y-Säätiö ysaatio.fi
Sininauhasäätiö | Blue Ribbon Foundation sininauhasaatio.fi
Salvation Army www.pelastusarmeija.fi
No Fixed Abode vvary.fi/in-english
City of Helsinki www.hel.fi/en
Jan Vapaavuori vapaavuori.net/en
Executive producer: Mark Horvath
Producer/editor/cinematographer: Alex Gasaway / / alexgasaway
Special thanks:
Diane Yentel and the National Low Income Housing Coalition
Mark Donovan, Founder of the Denver Basic Income Project
Donors who supported our GoFundMe
More stories:
From a Tent to a Home: No Longer Homeless • From a Tent to a Home:...
Homeless Veteran Gets an Apartment: HOUSING FIRST WORKS • Homeless Veteran Gets ...
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About Invisible People
There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, childhood trauma, lack of a living wage, or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.
Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.
For those of you leaving comments that we can't do what Finland is doing here in America, watch this - From a Tent to a Home ruclips.net/video/0hkkGH_QADA/видео.htmlsi=bEU1o5T77sZgBbpN and this - Homeless Veteran Gets an Apartment ruclips.net/video/SizHuR225Co/видео.htmlsi=GsnuOqXMJSuEsrQm
I work with Plymouth Housing in Seattle, and we are living breathing proof that Housing First can work in America.
Bless you Finland for caring! USA ...come on government work for your people!
most excellent
Great.
Its a temporary solution ,
some of the people will revert back to drugs and the more people you have the worse it's going to get
I'm living in housing like this in America. They turned a motel into an apartment complex. I am now addiction free mentally stable and working a great job.
Keep up the good work! 👍 ❤
Blessings 🎉🎉🎉 ❤❤❤
Where in the US are motels converted in this way?
Good for you. Keep up the fight against addiction.
of course you are, cupcake.
Others are fooled by words on the internet.
I want proof of what you claim.
As an American, I lived homeless for 2 years following a devastating car wreck. I could have gone into a shelter but I was not willing to give up my family, my dogs. I met many, many other homeless people who felt the same way. I was making $250K a year before the wreck which caused a TBI and multiple physical disabilities. It was a judge's daughter who hit me and I never saw a dime. Most homeless people I met were not addicts, but fell thru the cracks when trying to get help.
This is awful! I wonder if the Institute for Justice would help you (or bring it to a tv station).
I cannot imagine that horror and instability of survival. Be safe!
It's sad but most American's don't want to admit we're all about 2-3 paychecks away from being homeless. If you lose your job suddenly you lose everything in this country. I'm sorry to hear about what you had to endure, hope you're doing better these days
This is also unconscionable. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina and there’s a huge homelessness population here. It hurts my heart to see it. I don’t know what to do. Why cannot America do what Finland is doing?
Rents have skyrocketed all throughout every major city in the US.; including Charlotte.
Happens there, happens in many "advanced" nations. Don't kid yourselves... we're all redundant!
@@robynalvin2849 Here in Canada too rents have more than doubled, ever since 2020. There also aren't enough homes for rent, and many houses that used to be single family, have now been changed into 2 units for rent. Even so it is hard to find anything suitable. It can take a long time in smaller towns and in the country. There are now more homeless than what we had before. Very sad.
I’m Canadian, homeless and indigenous…no help from our government, no help from the band office…no one cares. We are looked at like a virus, we’re the problem. They blame “us” for the situation we find ourselves. It’s sad ridiculous and degrading. I wish this country functioned like Finland. A stable home changes so much, giving a person dignity is a solution not a problem!
I payed $1500/month for a basement apartment without a full kitchen in Toronto ZERO career advancement of course everybody is homeless suddenly! Who can keep up with this slavery? God bless ❤
I'd recommend gathering some money and moving away to Europe, dedicate the time you collect ur money to learn the language of a country and u will see the power of u being a native English speaker. Believe my words if u succeed u will be the happiest person in the world. I can see it as an European
The reservation will take you in
Lots of people are leaving America, actually. Much of it has to do with the fact that all these dictator - wannabees are coming out of the woodwork, and this is scary. In dictatorships, homeless people are rounded up and used for slave labor, and in some places,organ harvesting. Justin Trudeau sounds just like the " New Democrats" like the Clintons, among other famous ones. They aren't real liberals, but fake ones. It's cheaper to house people, than using shelters and jails and hospitals, but it makes money for certain connected groups. It won't take long for even free speech to become illegal. I'm out, too.
Hello I have same issues in the u.s. no support no help. Houses are to expensive on my own. Be safe. You are not alone.my tribe won't help either.
The biggest obstacle to doing this in the US is this myth we have that if you're rich, you're a good person, and if you're poor, well, you deserve it. There are more empty houses owned by venture capital than homeless people in the US; we could end homelessness overnight without building anything, but we won't because we treat homelessness like it's a lifestyle choice made by horrible people, and helping them somehow diminishes the rest of us. One of the most harmful mass delusions of the second millennium.
I respectfully disagree. I was briefly homeless, and for many people it is a choice. Not all, but many.
@@irenegonzalez201 In what way is your anecdotal experience relevant here? The majority of homeless people got into that situation due to circumstance, be that financial troubles, mental health issues, drug addiction, likely a combination of all three. That's not a choice. Maybe this is news to you, but most people would rather have a roof over their head than not.
@@thalesfm I agree that many ppl become homeless through no fault of their own. It happened to me. However, when years go by and you still haven't managed to improve anything about your life, if you are of sound mind and able-bodied, then it is a lifestyle choice. I've seen it. I was there. Sure they would love a free place to live. But an affordable place to live and a job, that's another story.
@@irenegonzalez201things magically get better in 10 yrs? I'm homeless and trying to get govt aid so i can have medical care, food and assist. In paying my basic bills. That alone has been a long difficult process. I am trying to make phone calls to see whee i can move to and esp now with the terrible job market...its fascinating to me to see ppl struggle or have struggle and yet have no empathy or understanding on hard it is. And for person like yourself on top of it it say "within x yrs if they don't get better, then clearly they choose their situation"
@@irenegonzalez201I can’t really speak against your experience because I don’t know it personally. But you’re only viewing homelessness by your own metric. And not that it’s a systemic problem. The people who end up on the street have a much lower or no chance at all of getting a job because of their current condition. On top of that drug uses becomes more and more applicable to these people because of the situation their in.
YOU CAN NEVER GET SO LOW THAT WE WILL NOT BE BESIDE YOU❤.
Well done Finland 🇫🇮
Yea in the US money talks BS walks. If you've got the gold you make the rules. Glad I left LA and the US 25 years ago when times were supposedly good!
Now this is a statement!!!!
@@jayclarke6671Good on you brother for taking the initiative!
I don’t see that ever happening in the US. Too much corruption and greed.
❤❤❤
“Housing first is not housing only” & “you can never be so low , where we won’t walk beside you” are statements of truth and necessity. Putting the humanity back into the issues
Thank you for noticing
america/americans dont care thye wanna chase that bag and be content creators
@@SmokedHyena The key is the American mindset that a person's worth equals their income. Of course it s not true, and we must change this. Some of us do care a lot, but politics is so divided and focused on fake issues that it is difficult to cut through the propaganda to do something serious like this. It's a shame that the US hasn't stepped up on this. 1/10th of the US military budget would probably do this for the entire US. We need to push for it. Here's hoping it happens and spreads worldwide!
@@LabGecko Getting rid of the EPA would probably be enough to get every homeless person their own house on their own 40 acres.
@@noneyabusinessyoushouldbes7924 Seriously? Get rid of the agency that limits pollution and harmful effects on the environment in order to give every homeless person 40 acres of land? Now you have people unemployed living on 40 acres of land. That land isnt going to be close to anything. Millions of people spread out across the country. They would need a car to get anywhere. Now you have more pollution and dependency on oil and gas. You still want to get rid of the EPA? Why?
Just make it simple. Build apartments in urban areas for the homeless so they can stabilize and get a job. In an urban area they can use transit instead of relying on a car.
As someone who works with homeless in Texas. There’s almost no options except get a job that’s time frame allows you to get back to the shelter in time for bed draws. There’s only a couple of shelters and they are always full, and turning people away constantly. Not only that, now our group homes were taken away for IDD clients as well. I can’t stress how difficult it is, and how broken our system is. They are punished for working, and punished for not working.
and of course judged either way...so infuriating! I got into a rather heated discussion with someone who had nothing but condemnation for the unhoused. they pointedly stated how disgusting it is that "those people" go to the bathroom on the streets, etc. When I informed him that "those people" are not allowed to use public bathrooms and he had no response. I work with homeless in Vancouver, Canada- some improvements have been made here but now we are going backwards again. It is so frustrating- I cannot comprehend why many people have so little compassion...don't get me wrong, I understand where the attitudes come from, but I just wish people could bypass the fear and cultural indoctrination and just see People. Thank you for your efforts in Texas!! blessings, kelly
And the broken system creates more broken people.
I was homeless in Texas 15 years ago. Shelters that allowed overnight sleep for single women without children was limited to a single place. They had 35 beds for women and 150 for men. I was incredibly lucky. I'd gotten SSDI a few years before so already had an income. I'd already come to the top of the public housing list and was just waiting for my apartment to be ready. That took 2 and a half months. When the social workers randomly changed my appointment times, it was easy to accommodate. More often than not, those who worked lost their beds for missing the changed appointment. No one could put the shelter address on an application and get hired. People were forced to put half their paycheck in a money order to sit in a safe until there 3 months were up. Few were able to get those money orders cashed when they left. The homeless were encouraged to lie about having addictions to get temporary housing in sober living. My social worker was replaced 2 months in due to a relapse in her crack addiction. I will never forget the staff complaining about the smell of spoiled meat being cooked to feed us. Food poisoning was so common in that shelter that I learned to eat anywhere else.
@@kmgg5005 In Austin, TX the homeless made it a campaign to poop in front of every bar the tourists go to. It took a month of arrests and a hard push from the bar owners but the city did install a couple of outdoor public toilets everyone could use.
thank you for sharing some of your experience- sadly it is very similar to what people go through here. I put together an exercise for a group of social workers to try to help them understand some of the very things you went through- basically gave them 'tasks' they had to complete with the same 'resources' and time frames, done in a workshop type format. I think a few of them got it. Unless you have lived it tho...(and the disparity of # of beds for men vs women is still an issue here 🙄😠)@@RheaRobin
I have been homeless in the Netherlands for 15 years. Had lost trust in people. In the shelter I saw one girl come in as an intern, stay as a volunteer and then as fulltime employee. She was that one person I trusted and asked her to get me off the streets. She got me into Housing First and essentially saved my life.
Life on the streets in the Netherlands was tough, but I can't begin to comprehend how hard it would be in a country like Finland. Keep up the good work.
[edit[ I still find it incomprehendible that's it's proven to be cheaper to help the homeless rather than to ignore them. Some countries can learn something from this. (Looking at you, USA) [/edit]
A well deserved stare. Congratulations on finding help, growing trust, and building a home
I applaud you, sir. Here, in America, the problems of homelessness, mental illnesses, cancer and other cataprophic diseases, our on-going educational crisises, as well as, many other problems, CAN BE solved with the stroke of a pen, DETERMINATION to do what is right. HOWEVER, to solve these problems, it would take away the graft and the meriad of political "influencers" who "rule the roost", as it were. There is NO money in curing any of these illnesses of humanity in America. I believe American citizens can learn a lot from our friends across the pond. We will do a lot to heed this cautionary tale.
It's actually not cheaper for the capitalist, because keeping an underclass of homeless people helps scare everyone else into low wages. Homelessness is GREAT for profits and keeping workers in line!
@@Max0r847 good point
I'm dutch too. It's the choice of the politician. They want POWER. They don 't give a shit about people!
I'm on the Gold Coast in Australia and 3 days ago I was leaving a shopping centre and saw a man lying outside in heatwave conditions. I went back to assist him only to be confronted by security guards trying to push him along. I stood up for him and argued with the 3 officers and would not let them treat him like rubbish. I could barely find any organisations to assist which was not only frustrating but heartbreaking. I found one that was an hour away but they could only send someone to help after hours!! That's ludicrous. I called an ambulance against security's opposition as the man was obviously suffering heat stroke. When the ambulance arrived I gave them the contact details of the organisation I had spoken to earlier and hopefully they have intervened. I'm disgusted how humans treat others who are struggling. We need change at a government level otherwise this will only get worse. I fear that this man will be released back into the same conditions he was already struggling in. We need continuation of care, and we need governments to stop focusing on making profits for their wealthy supporters and start doing their job to look after everyone.
Our politicians and mainstream media have deliberately moved us toward the American way of demonising those that become vulnerable. It's good to see they haven't got to you yet
As a general rule, in a free country, governments are not supposed to be "looking after people", we had family, friends, church and charitable organizations to assist in a caring and normal system. Government used to be limited to doing essential things like defense, law and order and so on, we also used to have low tax. Now workers are mostly tax slaves.
We also used to have homes for the mentally disturbed and low IQ people, they were cared for and protected, but the "modern" younger populace, obsessing over "rights", suddenly did not like that common-sense assistance so these defenseless people have been left to their own devices, thanks to do-gooders and bleeding hearts and the "woke" who talk of nothing but "rights" - what a mess has been created SINCE government and their welfare cronies have become involved in so much of our lives.
Young people of today have no memory of what has happened over time and think history starts with them. We have too many feminist women given unearned power over others, and they have grossly misused that power to create chaos where commonsense and order used to prevail. It was nice of you to try to help that man, but the system has been broken and until that corrupted system is fixed nothing will change. Organized local charitable groups did a far better job until they became subsidized by government people, then they became corruptible. Big Government always becomes tyrannical. Regards.
@@ladybug591 Those certainly were words.
It has been my experience that individuals who use the word "Woke" in the pejorative are broadcasting that they are willing to use slurs when they think no one is listening.
@@ladybug591that is demostrably false and a narrative pushed by the wealthy on ppl to dumb to figure it out. Everything you've spouted is absolute garbage and not true in any way. But keep it up and keep voting against your own best interests.
I am all for helping people, but I wonder why people have given up helping selves to keep selves out of such situations How do make them care enough to find a way out? You don't. The individual has to give a damn for self, or any help given will just require more and more help with no end to it. It's as if we are more worried for them then they are. That is a problem with zero resolve ability.
The problem in the US is that homelessness has become a business. Politicians and "non profits" make billions off the issue.
How do they make billions out of it?
I believe the opposite. It's a problem because people can't make money off it. That's all USA is about. Profit, profit, profit. And if politicians profited off homelessness, it'd be all over the political attack ads.
USA is a corporation that makes money for the rich from poor and unfortunate people.
What disgusts me most is that USA wipes all the bad things under the rug and continues like nothing actually bad is happening and it is just the people in help that are the cause of their own misfortune.
I am afraid that Finland is getting in the same path as USA... we will see next year what happens.
Yah how?
One way is that owners of private prisons make a lot of money. Homelessness has been criminalized in many cities, so having homeless people means more people in jail which means more money for people who own private prisons.
17:21 “You can never get so low that we will not be beside you. We will walk with you”. My god, I am crying. This is the best thing you can tell somebody, the best words a person can hear. Is this beautiful woman a saint or an angel? Yes and no. This is not only her to thank but her country too. This society does THIS, while other countries and societies do wars. The true greatness of a nation can be measured by how a nation cares for its weakest.
I literally had to pause the video as I burst into tears after hearing that.
Do you think it’s easier for them because they all look alike and speak the same language?
@@JacyndaMinor, they look alike only for us, in the strangers' eyes, but culturally and socially Finland is not a village anymore, it's growing and becoming more diverse and complexed, but they are trying really hard to do right things.
@@feralkittensreally? So go pay 60% taxes on your salary for low life live free
@@JacyndaMinorno, honey, not anymore, in some areas u would think u re in marocco or somali and not in Finland. Like everywhere in Europe
This approach is what needs to happen here in Vancouver. The city needs to provide some free and affordable housing so that our homeless community can start to rehabilitate. The expectation that we have for these communities to rehabilitate first before we can provide them with housing is ridiculous and unrealistic.
unfortunately, rich people like money too much, and the only way that will happen is through the government stopping the rich people. doubly unfortunately, the government is the rich people
As Gabor Mate says, "don't ask someone 'what is wrong with you?' ask them 'what happened to you?" Addiction is a response to pain.. a desire to find relief from pain. Being unhoused is a response to housing being too expensive to sustain.
Gabor Mate is a genius in his feild of helping people. He is a medical doctor and an angel! ❤❤❤
Amen!
People get addicted to caffeine, nicotine, porn, violence... Saying addiction is a response to pain seems disingenuous.
@@lukecantrell5149 You can look up Dr. Gabor Mate. He says it better than I. But yes, all of those addictions are responses to something. A seeking to feel differently (escape current reality and find an altered reality) and finding something that aids in that shift. I am addicted to food and it is because I struggle to sit in certain discomforts. When certain parts of me are activated, nothing else can help that pain/feeling of discomfort. Food is the best thing I can turn to for soothing. I'm grateful it isn't heroin, but I see them both as addictions. I am not better than someone addicted to heroin. I can understand why people turn to substances. It isn't something wrong with their brain. It isn't a disease. It's a reaction to the pain of our broken society and what we have to help us with that is plenty of drugs, alcohol, caffeine, food, sugar, tv, social media, nicotine, porn, violence, sex, love, relationships... the list is long.
@@lukecantrell5149I’m not sure how your first statement leads to your second. All of those things are potentially distractions from or reactions to pain. Sleep deprivation and fatigue are forms of pain, which can prompt people to consume caffeine. People often smoke more when they’re feeling stressed. Porn can distract people from their problems and give them a moment of pleasure during a time of despair. Some folks may even turn to porn out of loneliness, because imaginary intimacy seems better than nothing.
I’m not sure what you mean by addiction to violence. Do you mean addiction to committing violence or watching it or ?
In any case, addiction is complicated. It can involve biological predisposition, life circumstances, overwhelming cravings, and chosen behavior. I wouldn’t say pain is the only factor but it’s certainly an important one.
In the United States we blame individuals for their homeless state, not the fact that there is not enough affordable housing; completely inadequate mental healthcare; etc, etc, etc. People respond to this by looking for alternative lifestyles such as van life or tiny homes. Towns then work hard to find ways to restrict people from doing this. It is absolutely disgusting the way poverty is criminalized in this country.
Most end up on the streets due to bad luck or abuse or addiction or just being a war veteran.
There is a ton of affordable housing, the problem is, there is a bunch of broke people in this country who do not move ahead in life so they stay stuck year after year complaining that stuff is expensive vs going out, making more money so they can afford things in this new economy we are in. The problem is not the country, the problem is the people living in it. Only poor people think about this topic, everyone else is focusing on getting ahead and staying there!
@@CompetitionSportsNetwork really
.
@@CompetitionSportsNetwork I’m a real estate agent. There most certainly is not a ton of affordable housing. Before the pandemic rents were rising at twice the rate pay was rising. It’s worse now. If you need to keep believing what you believe, do so. Don’t expect other people to.
@@CompetitionSportsNetwork The lack of empathy and knowledge, and seemingly being so self-assured about it all, is utterly disheartening to read. Why even take the time to comment? Why? You are contributing nothing.
Every city, county, and state official in America NEED to watch this!💙🌎
Finland restoring dignity. We (all Americans)must do this.
Being half Finnish and half Swedish. And living in California, my Father always said how much more advanced the Scandinavian countries are. And he was right.
He's right.
And yet he lives in the US???
Why do you live in California if you're Scandinavian? I'm originally from Scotland but was brought to LA as a child during the mid 70s and finally escaped back to Europe, Spain, 22 years later in 98. I've heard the state has gone to hell since then.
America is too concerned about building Private prisons.
The Scandivian countries are also considerally smaller than the USA 12:04
"You can never get so low that we will not be beside you. We will walk with you." That statement gave me chills. I hope and pray that the US will evolve and solve homelessness. This was a great documentary.
That statement got my attention 2 😊😊😊
The US doesn't appear to want to solve any of its problems, probably because someone at the top is making money from the problem. It's easier for them to pit different class groups against one another because Americans seem more interested in punishment that reform.
Very interesting view! MUCH better attitude than here in the states. We could learn a few things from these folks!
Hoping and praying won't solve anything. That's why nothing changes.
No they’d rather go to Mars… selling the dream
I worked in housing first for Washington State. The biggest struggles were balancing grace and accountability. Lots received assistance with housing for months to a year. But, did not necessarily have the support necessary to hold clients accountable. I saw many case managers burn out because people would rather work at Panda Express or Amazon then help the homeless. Because of this heavy workload, many case managers cut corners to do the bare minimum and clients were not given what was planned. The biggest difference between Finland and the United States, seems to be that they are more for the community rather than out for themselves. Individualism is tearing America apart and many don’t see how bad it’s getting till it happens to a loved one or they become homeless themselves. I pray that Americans wake up and help their neighbors before it’s too late. Because we not only have a homeless epidemic, but a drug epidemic, a trafficking epidemic, domestic violence epidemic. The problem keeps worsening, yet we have the same system but without the heart. May the LORD Jesus turn the American heart of stone to a heart of flesh that seeks to give and not take 🙏❤️.
America needs put their Homeless FIRST and do this SAME THING as Finland. How Wonderful 😢😢
The difference is that in Finland there is a social democracy, empathy and less greed.
And less wilful cruelty towards those deemed to be lower status. America needs to repent from hating her own people.
That was 30 years ago. Nowadays most people are brainwashed to the american style neoliberal ways. We have neoliberals and fascists in power now so even the small amount of empathy we had left is going out the window fast. Fingers crossed that people see all the shiet they're doing and vote smarter next time but I wouldn't bet on it.
Also, in Finland you have people who emerged from a tribal culture. They are not so top down. Most people are not religious. I am an American and what I notice is a lot of classism and Christian Nationalism. As long as both are allowed to continue, we will have rampant homeless, mass shootings, ECT.
A yes "Greed"!!Correct.
Maybe we should the American homeless there.
I went from being a homeless drug addict to now owning my own land and tiny home...and I celebrate 6 years in recovery in 4 months. It is possible through love and compassion to change the world. Also, I now contribute to the solution as often as possible.
I am proud of you....
@@lindawise5546 Thank you. I didn't do it alone, and it didn't come easy, but it was worth going through the pain. Be blessed
@@jerryskidlsd Been there Jerry. My son and I, 30 years of addiction and trauma recovery. Painful, tiring, but once you have small victories behind you, you can't help but wanting to climb that ladder to your real self.
Awesome!!!! Well done!!!
❤🎉❤
Recovery is possible & nobody is beyond redemption 🙏 😊
Go Finland! I love that country. I was blessed to live there for three years in high school. I never felt safer than living there!
"You cannot be so low that we will not be beside you" is a statement I never thought I'd hear.. American individualism sucks. I want a community like this.
But that's COMMUNIsm! Or SOCIALism! In USA that results in "Burn the witches!" and "Get your pitchforks!". For me it's kinda funny to see how people believe that (usually rich) individuals are more important than entire society. Or that the only way to get better results for yourself is to push everyone else down. Simple exercise: count how many times "society" and "better for society" was mentioned in this video. In USA, mentioning "better for society" as a politician would result in complete career failure...
As an American it makes me ashamed that we won't do this!!!! As usual it's MONEY before PEOPLE 😢
Welcome to capitalism - Profits over People! I'm convinced America is The Great Capitalist Experiment heh
Our American culture is too uncivilized and uncaring to address the problem.
Welcome to corporatism! Big corporations have captured our politicians through legal bribery. Congress doesn't work for us, they work for their donors. And many corporations get subsidized by the government, or huge tax breaks, which is basically socialism for them but we don't get any of that. The government can find the money to help the people. They have no limits when it comes to the military budget or war or tax cuts for the rich...but when we need something, all of a sudden there's no money. Vote for people who don't take big donor money. Vote for people who want real change
@@3nertiaFinland is capitalist as well. It's the reason the entire population is not destitute. The have a smaller and less diverse population which makes it easier for them to deal with these issues. That being said the US is so bad because of progressive policies that allow for people to be more comfortable outside instead of getting help. Also massive corruption.
Same in UK
"Rehabilitation off the streets is not possible. You need a home and then the other stuff can happen after that" - so true, so wise. And my favourite -"You can never get so low that we will not be beside you." Those words are so reassuring, so strong. Thank you.
How many vagrants are you letting live in your home?
Why is that valid? No one is suggesting you provide a home for the homeless. @@virgilhilts3924
@@virgilhilts3924that's not what housing first is though. Besides that, would you not let a friend or family member who's down on their luck at least crash on your couch and get on their feet? Would you be the person to put someone on the streets?
@@BurnTheBluestSkies I’ve had addiction in my family and NO I do not trust them to spend the night in my home. You can give a addict everything they need to keep from being hurt or killed on the streets. But if they don’t want to dry out or stop the drugs all your doing is giving them permission to keep doing the drugs or drink. I know, I’ve tried to help. Until THEY are ready for help nothing you do is appreciated,it’s useless. All it does is keeps them off the streets where they can’t be seen. If someone is injured , fallen through the cracks of a system, it’s a different story they will ask for help and Try to help themselves. Most homeless like where they are.
@@oldasdirt3760 so it's situational. I didn't mean without conditions, but my point is it's not strange to house someone else. Virgil's question was not only irrelevant to housing first, but just absurd on its own.
There's a lot to unpack with your comment though. For the family you wouldn't house, you would think it would be ideal for them to have a safe place to stay and recover, away from you. But you seem to be against that. Do you think homelessness is a just sentence for the crime of having an illness? Do you tell yourself it's what they want so you don't have to take responsibility for your refusal to exercise empathy? What's your actual deal lol
This almost makes me cry,seeing this kind of compassion is such an alien thing where im from. The rest of the world could really take some notes from Finland.
The United States housing crisis is only getting worse too. I'm in Massachusetts and our idea of "affordable housing" is any one room studio found under $1500 a month is a bargain. It shouldn't be that way.
Good on you Finland. Meanwhile, the “richest country in the world “ is becoming a dystopian nightmare.
A dystopia where we champion the idea of exploiting, demonizing, and pitting one group against the least powerful people in this country! We need to convince people that's it's on their own best interest to house everyone in order for it to work here because Americans operate according to self interest and the idea that people "deserve" help.
Genuine natural human (ie: humanism) empathy verses the charade of fake style of religious based empathy.
Becoming?
It has been since last century
@@robertholland7558 oh bs. Is that why all those people from different countries try to immigrate here?
@@mygirldarby
PPL immigrate here for many reasons including money opportunities
The more ppl become individualistic and self centered the more we leave other ppl behind
Capitalism is the main cause of human individualism and morality shift
Poverty is the main reason for high crime rate and byproduct of capitalism
Unless you’ve been homeless, seriously homeless, you simply can’t understand the joy of being given a key to your own flat.
No bed, no fridge, no tv, nothing. Just a key. It’s an incredible feeling of relief
Amen
Agrewd
I'm looking forward to getting keys! I'm still homeless in Athens GA and I do have SSDI plus I was approved for Rapid Rehousing vouchers, but finding a place is another story!
@@tamathawhitehurst8484praying for you friend. 🙏🏽
Forgive me for being naive. Where are their families. Would you let this happen to your brother,sister,mother,father, son, daughter,aunt,uncle,cousin, grandmother, friend? What kind of family doesn't take care of its own. 15:25crickets
“You will never fall so low that we won’t be beside you.”
That is something that family does/says. We have you no matter how long it takes.
Obviously not every one in Finland is going to share this opinion and support these policies, but they were able to get enough people to shift their ideas to this so that it could change for the better.
You would be surprised how popular these policies are in general, the most friction comes from the locations of these facilities, the Finnish cultural mentality is generally very "no man left behind" and "a rising tide lifts all ships". Of course you have the people who struggle financially and feel like they deserve more help themselves, but I can't really blame them, because it's really hard to see the forest when branches keep whacking you in the face.
I remember this one kid (18yo) didn’t have a home and he was brought in by a roommate. We found out that the roommate had this weird arrangement so we told the homeless kid that his arrangement was not with him anymore.
He didn’t know how to do anything. He didn’t cook, clean, laundry but he was so eager to learn. In less than a month, he was renting a room in our complex and was working to join the military because he wanted to be the best he could be.
Kindness goes a long way. I don’t think this exact model will work everywhere but I do agree that at least having your basic Maslow needs met helps you get back up on your feet.
I respect the young fella who said "I don't wanna lie, it's not". And I respect y'all for showing that. Sometimes it's like that. But it shouldn't stop us from trying.
Healing and getting your life together from the bottom is the hardest, most unpleasant, painful experience you will ever go through! It's an extremely challenging process even with resources and support.
That's so true. My life was a mess for several years and I was very close to living on streets (my friend let me work in his carpentry shop to at least pay for rent even though I am terrible carpenter). Sometimes it felt like I won't ever get up again and I was ok with that. There was no hope. It took a long time to get my chaos under control, to pay all that I owed and get a better life. I felt with that young man.
Yes, and he added the reason it wasn't...because he still needs to quit drugs. That could be his next step and a focus. So housing first and quitting addictions second.
Absolutely. Being homeless is not the main issue for the young man. Survivors guilt and the fact he probably blames himself for not being able to save his friends life is why he's suffering. Housing does not make that all better but I guarantee his and my life would be far worse without it. Please don't stop trying to help.
All wonderful and helpful info. Where I live in NM there's a non profit working for the goal of a greenhouse in every neighborhood! Regenerate the soil, grow locally and in vertical spaces - all would work well together with this kind of housing solution!
...blessed 🐝 to all involved in green and alternative solutions!...
I love how you covered Finlands response to homelessness!! I am from Hawaii and we studied their model. We traveled all the way to Finland last Summer to see it for our selves and we were blown away!! They got it right
the average temp in finalnd is 33F... You really think Hawaii has the same kind of people on the streets as finland? You are forgetting that its literally many people's DREAM to live on the beach in hawaii... Nobody wants to live in the snow with just a blanket.
@@SanityTV_Last_Sane_Man_Alive " You really think Hawaii has the same kind of people on the streets as finland? " Where did the commenter say they assumed homeless people in Hawaii are the same as in Finland? I think it's a safer assumption that someone studying the problem so intently that they actually visited Finalnd will probably notice that the local situations have differences.
Aloha. Its is nuturing to be in a place called home where ever you are at. Even on the front lines of a war to be safe. Let try to figure how to do that for each other. Surely if it was you who are homeless do you not want help? May we be with each other when we can.
They are not blaming the individual. rather, finding a solution first and then maintaining the better lifestyle with support.
That's great! Hope you have success!🙏🏼🙏🏽🙏🏾The man on this show was generalizing too much saying Americans do not want the homeless to have homes. You are a perfect example that they do. I don't know of any who would not want the homeless to have homes. If there are any, they are in the minority, but very loud so it only appears to him that it is all of America. 🕊 I think tiny home villages should really become the thing & for that to happen, covenants need to be changed in places to accomodate.
The fact that it’s always cheaper to just give them housing PROVES that it’s not about money
And where does that money go? Because those rich MF want that money that “goes to the homeless.”
It's about ego lol
@@warrentoles3127*arrogance, not ego. They’re not one and the same; the ego is your sense of self and self esteem, it’s quite literally your personality, and it’s also a Freudian theory that isn’t fact, just a very old theory.
@@leebliss3622 I don't need correction
This is so much more compassionate than Canada! I was almost homeless with my 8 year old child this summer because I had to move and no one wanted to rent to a disabled woman receiving government assistance. I learned very fast that I was on my own. I thought at the very least my country would help a disabled woman with a young child but boy was I wrong. If I was drug addicted they had a bed for me, if I was being physically abused we could stay together only for a few nights, if I wished to give up my child there was fostering available for my child, if I was Indigenous and had a status card there would be a place for us both(I'm half Indigenous but don't have status), if I was unable to care for myself completely there would be a space for only me, and if I was over 50 I could find a bed for just myself. There was NOTHING for a disabled mixed-race mother with a child in any way that we could stay together as a family. Waitlists for that kind of set up are tens of years long. Oh OR we could try for a shelter in a town 1000s of km away and lose my doctor(last time I moved it took 11 years to get a new doctor and I almost died) and lose all the medications I need to stay alive in the process. So again, no options. No options. There is not even shelter space!
My child is still having nightmares about almost being homeless because we were 4 days away from it when I got us onto the news to beg for a home and someone took us in to rent from her. So now we live in an apartment with bugs, vermin, no heat, not enough electricity to run a/c even if we pay for it, in 1 bedroom when we need more, the elevator often breaks, the water gets shut off, the sinks won't drain, the toilet leaks, mold keeps coming back on the ceilings and the windows, there are alcoholics and addicts in the building, vandalism... not somewhere you want an 8 year old. Not somewhere you want when you cannot do stairs like I can't. Not somewhere safe for a fat disabled person during heat waves - it put me in hospital twice already and we only spent half the summer here). We're in below zero temperatures today and there are slabs of ice on the insides of the windows that are thicker than the window panes. And it costs $600 more a month than our last place so I have to skip a lot of meals and medications, and stay with someone who is cruel to me, just to keep us housed. It's a nightmare. But screw me for getting sick, right? I've never been in trouble my whole life, I don't deserve this and my child certainly doesn't.
I would suggest just keep moving until you find the right resources.
@@user-bluetopaz777 Where would be cheaper that is close enough to keep my doctors? Nowhere, I've looked. How would I find a doctor and could I even live long enough to without my meds? I'm much sicker than I was the first time I had to look for one and that search took 11 years. How do I physically move house over and over again when I'm this disabled? I'm barely functioning in terms of getting day to day needs accomplished. Did you miss the part where absolutely no one wanted to rent to us? I looked all day and night every day for 4 months and not one single offer. What resources do you think I have?? I don't think you understand how little money and physical ability I have. Or how slim the pickings are.
@@ce3417I agree with you 100%. I worked 80 hour weeks, volunteered on top of that, I have ALWAYS gone over and above and I've always stayed away from any drug or alcohol abuse. There is no reason why I should have been shoved down into poverty - and my son with me. I hate my country, it's not what I thought it was growing up. There is no reason to make people who are already suffering so much to beg and grovel just to stay alive. When I was a few days from homelessness I started filling out my application for MAID(Medical Assistance In Dying). No human being should be put in that position. And in a country I've paid taxes in since I was 15!
Sorry for the rant. Thank you for your words. It's nice to see some people realize we're not all drug users and ner'er-do-wells.
@burnyizland My statements are based on my own personal experience. I've been where you are. You have 2 choices, either adapt to where you are, or leave to find something else. I know it's hard, I've been there. I left the country with nothing but a small suitcase of clothes and $100 back in 2013. I had nothing left. Left everything I knew behind. Went to a completely new place with only my past to go with me. It was hard. I stood watching the world going on around me as if I was invisible. Were very lonely times. I had to do what I had to do. My family wouldn't help, didn't care. That's how it was. I lived in a lot of different places, chronically homeless in between. Have a nice place now. But I wouldn't if I'd stayed where I was. Every land has different people, different resources, and different options. Anyway, we need to be thankful for what we have. Things could always be worse for all of us.
@@user-bluetopaz777Did you even read their comment??? Wtf are you even talking about? The whole entire point is the many reasons why they can’t “just keep moving”. Wtf is wrong with you?
Finland sets the example for the rest of the world in so many ways.
Such as......finish your story.......
ikr?
Finland will show some kind of example, that is for sure. Someone follow up in this story one year from now
Absolutely
It's not only Finland , it's so many countries even Africa. Problem with the west American and Europe is.too many people coming here thinking it's the land.of opportunities and it's Saturated.
Good for these people and their country. America needs to take better care of our people.
All 340 million of them.
@@emusauruspreventing homelessness would help a lot, and yes, housing the homeless. Just lose the resentment towards anyone else getting help. That is what America really needs to overcome.
Americans need to take better care of each other. Then the government will follow.
"America is rich" but we are trillions in debt.
@@emusaurusBut we allow our government to spend it on wars.
What beautiful people truly serving those who are homeless. No judgements. True understanding. ❤
A program like this could have saved the life of someone I loved so dearly in America. Thank you to these workers who are leading the charge. Your compassion is life saving and inspiring.
Finland is a light for the world.Thankyou Finland for showing the world how to care for fellow humans .
but its 99% white lol thats whats missing here u can't have this and diversity
How beautiful! 😢 Finland isn’t just helping house people… they are restoring hope to those who’ve lost it.
America 🇺🇸 has MUCH to learn from Finland 🇫🇮.
The problems are not even close to the same and on the same scale.. Try again.. Its not that easy. The corruption alone in the USA by officials in these cities is awful.
America and Americans have so much to learn. The first thing they have to learn is that they are not the greatest country in the world. As long as they are brainwashed to think that they are the greatest nation, they won’t belittle themselves to think someone else may be doing something better than them.
@@benboots6956 Its not even on the same scale. So trying to compare the situations is ignorant as hell. Every answer cant fix every situation.. Remove your head from your rear end.
@@Killswitch1411 Yes Selfishness & Greed is wonderful ! !
Too many of you Corporate puppets ! : (
As long as America remains divided like it is, we will never see anything like this. Half the country (the ignorant half) equates social democracy with communism. They'll vote for their fascist cult leader who admires every communist dictator in the world yet fail to see the hypocrisy. We are a very untrusting country and as long as we maintain our fierce independence, i.e. every man for himself, we will never have the sense of community the Scandinavian countries have. They are consistently rated in the top 10 best countries in which to live while the US falls further down the list with every passing year.
I love this! Treating people like they're PEOPLE! My own family doesn't do that... My CHURCH didn't do that...
Im actually so proud to be finnish in any way, almost everytime i hear news about finland it is incredibly good 🇫🇮🇫🇮🇫🇮
Bravo Finland it’s truly shameful that the US cannot do this
They can, but choose not to, deliberately!
You have to think State and city, not US. US has also the opportunity to travel from state to state. In Finland you have to be a citizen... Or a refugee 😬
There is also the cost, a 4300€ monthly makes a 2300 € net income, with all the taxes, fees, and insurance. A young 24 years old will have to work until 69.5 years in order to get pension. It is ridiculous. Yes, it is possible to do it.
They could, but they choose not to.
The US has done this.
You really can't compaire a sosialistic country like Finland and a dystopian capitalistic hellhole like the USA. What finland and other sosialistic coutries do, is care for the individual and protect people while demanding that they in turn care also for their fellow citizens and home. In america, this kind of thinking is an abomination and against the "american way". Socialist is a derogatrory word in USA, how can anyone expect anythign like this can happen in such a place. A whole world of things need to change in the "good old" USA before anythign remotely sane can be done there. (but it will not happen)
I love that they didn't just show picture perfect success cases, but also the young man who clearly struggles a lot, homeless or not. As someone who moved to Finland 2 years ago, this was very interesting and insightful.
You can see the happines in their faces and the shame they must feel while being filmed.
Also the houses are not stage perfect, every spot perfectly clean like you usually see. That place is lived in. Random things all over the place, just the way people live.
This is so nice to see.
Seems almost heavenly, not reality.
“you can never be so low , where we won’t walk beside you” That's deep
These are real social workers. That is how humanity is restored! Its not jus looked at as a job to help the people who they help! They are facing this issue head on and i think if more people seen this then it would take root in America because this is what we need here!!!
I have been homeless a few times due to addiction, emotional immaturity and ignorance, in Ireland, Northern Ireland and England. And I have to say there just isn't the same political will to solve street homelessness as the Finnish have been doing these past few years. It is inspiring and heartening. Thanks to the channel and to Finland.
There are many reasons why the homeless levels are what they are. My daughter is homeless in Seattle but choose drugs, Meth and now Fentanyl that killed her once but after several try’s, the efforts paid off and brought her back. She still chooses to be homeless rather than to try to get better and to get to see her two boys, 17 & 7 years old. It is sad and I never know when I will get another call saying she’s OD’d again.
@@jillmcdonald1714i’m so sorry for you having to see your daughter go through this. If she could stay in a home without the strict rules, she would hopefully benefit her life.
In the greatest majority of the time: drug addiction, plus mental health issues=homelessness. I'm glad Finland is doing something about it. May other cities in the USA, etc do the same.
@@MercyMe2022what do you mean? That she left home because of the strict rules of her parents or are you talking about the housing program that asks people to be clean before they go into the house? I think the person needs to at least agree to start a treatment in order to get into the house. Privileges comes with responsibilities, that’s just how life works, it’s like people wanting Gods blessing without following the commandments. Rules must be followed for the well being of the society as a whole. When an individual wants privileges but no responsibilities, to me that looks a weak character problem, it’s selfish and self centered to want to be an exception to the rules the keeps society safe.
@@rebecaanderson1935 no no no. America literally throws people out on the streets bc they are using drugs, are addicted to drugs, and/or are an addict AFTER getting clean. Nobody benefits. Nobody gets better. There is no support, no motivation, and zero confidence that this said treatment program will work. And we also put a very short timeline on these services…as if everybody is the same. Finland’s programs work bc no matter what, people have shelter. Agreeing to start a treatment program should not be necessary in order to have a basic need met. That’s literally the whole point of housing first.
I am proud to be a Finn (and Spanish, double national). We pay high taxes in Finland, but it shows. When you care about the well being of the community and not only your own these things happen!
That's one reason this will likely never work in the US. We've been programmed to think the individual is always more important than the society.
"Rugged Individualism" basically destroyed compassion for others here. . .
@@slate613we can change that. The way in, is that housing is financially the more via able option. Keep fighting the good fight
@@hisomebodytrackingmuch1309 I'm not much for charging at windmills. I'd rather just move to Europe/Scandinavia where they already have this stuff figured out. Hopefully within a year or so.
@@slate613 Surely the irony of your sentiment is lost on you
we pay high taxes in the U.S. and the country is a mess. having a corrupt government creates the mess.
I was in helsinki this summer just for the day - I trekked through the city from 8am-6pm and it didn't occur to me at all that I hadn't seen any homeless people. Even in the beginning when I was in the mall in the morning trying to sleep (bus terminal area) the only people who were there were either partiers still out from the night before, or a few refugees/immigrants (who may also have been waiting for their bus transfer). Went to a museum, beach, walked everywhere and made it a point to pass through every park on my way (so 10-15 parks) and didn't see a single encampment. This is really amazing and I truly hope other countries will follow suit especially the US!!
I lived in Helsinki for almost 40 years and I remember a few cases, single persons, not any kind of camps. There was one 'winter camp' close to the University of Helsinki right outside the city border, but that disappeared sometime in the 1990's. I know from a smaller town a man who slept at the railway station rather permanently. There are about 300 people sleeping rough in Finland in different municipalities, so it would be difficult to see very many in a single city. Helsinki is working hard to have enough affordable housing and keep the numbers of the homeless down.
@sampohonkala4195 it really is amazing! In the summer of 2022 I went to my home state of Maine (which is very similar in terms of nature, weather, and low population density to finland) and it broke my heart to see actual tents on the side of the road. We had a homeless issue, but most in previous years could find beds in shelters - I volunteered at soup kitchens and knew some of the homeless fairly well. The ones that didn't stay in shelters had either gotten into fights or weren't sober, so they weren't allowed in. But now, the issue is so bad there are encampments in the biggest city of 80k people. I really really hope we'll start learning from Finland's success and start implementing it!
@@aqualms I went to Washington DC for a business trip two years ago, and had not realized how bad it was. I don't think that would be possible in Helsinki; people would press the politicians to get people away from the street. And this is not entirely because people would care that much of the lives of the homeless, but because for the price people are paying to live in Helsinki, there cannot be slums in the city, or poor people camping in the parks. It is just not acceptable. But homelessness is not only an American problem, I saw the same thing in Rome, even and especially around St. Peter's Basilica. Could never happen around the Helsinki Cathedral, people would not accept it. It would be considered a national disgrace.
Bless Helsinki and Finland for doing this amazing hard work, it warms my heart and brings tears of joy to my eyes. The compassion and love that they show by making houses for the homeless, it makes me so thankful that this side of humanity exists.
I HOPE that America starts a Housing First program.
If this existed in the US, one of my dearest friends would still be alive. He hung himself this summer because he couldn't afford his apartment anymore and was facing homelessness. I'm absolutely shattered by losing him.
@creativitycatalyst , Heartfelt condolences for your loss... May your friend rest in peace. 🙏💔😢🌷
Condolences😢.
I’m sorry for your friend, he had a life to live that circumstances caused by evil took away ❤😭
May he rest in peace 🕊️
@@Star-um9cz Thank you. Such needless suffering and injustice.
I am also so proud of Finland that they care for their people and provide everyone housing regardless of whether they are 'clean or sober' or not. So encouraging!
The Eric Clapton looking-ass guy in the blue shirt said it himself right before he pivoted into lunacy. Finland is a small country. You can't even imagine how much this model would need to be scaled up to solve our issues in the US. It may not be an unbearable burden on the taxpayers in Finland, but it would be here. Plus, the sheer scale of the solution would overtake our cities. We would run out of space and resources for normal citizens and become a failed utopia here. I'd be all for doubling down on this model in the US if it were sustainable, but the math doesn't math...
@@n0-one0 I believe that there should be potential solutions to combat homelessness on a large scale. This model may not be 100& effective for bigger countries but some aspects of this model could be integrated and expanded upon so it is suitable on a larger scale.
@@n0-one0how is the size of the US an issue?
@@n0-one0 everything you said plus... Finland has a homogeneous population.
And no never ending inpouring of legal immigrants and illegals from the whole world.
And may not have this severe attack of the woke virtue signalling mind virus that has overtaken the anglosphere.
Agree
Gratitude to EVERY SOUL involved this video and Housing First services! You are changing the world! U.S. this is how we heal. As a disabled medical veteran, I was given the opportunity to serve Portland Oregon's Homeless by working with children, adults and familes to obtain housing, food, & meaningful work. All Humans matter. That includes YOU, yes, YOU💜 Keep your head up!
Their point about saving money by doing this is so important. By giving people apartments, you don’t have people going to the ER or getting arrested for shelter. As the one gentleman said, he’s no longer breaking in to hide from the cold. They can get preventative and early care instead of having to got to the ER for severe infection. This would relieve a lot of the burden currently on our healthcare system.
The medicare is expensive and overloaded in Finland. So it's much cheaper to provide housing so the people are healthier.
God bless Finland for taking care of their homeless people.
A country filled with hard working, educated, intelligent people. Those days are long gone in the US.
They new no God was gonna bless them, that's why they moved to "real" actions
@@RS-ls7mm Nah we still work hard. We just forgot that the working class is the real ruling class.
Theìr own homeless people. Not millions of vagrants from around the world.
@@TheHonestPeanut Dead wrong. There are no workers without a business. There must be a balance. One without the other is meaningless.
I'm Finnish and live quite close to Helsinki. I've seen maybe total of 4 homeless people during my entire life and I'm 30. I've also never seen open drug use and I think that says something. Sure we have problems in Finland, like the decline of affordable mental health services, but I think us finns often forget how lucky we are that our government actually takes care of the most vulnerable in our society.
As long as you can afford it. Take Germany for comparison. We too have a sort of guarantee for housing. The system isn't perfect, some people, especially mentally unstable ones and drug users, fall through the cracks. But the bigger part of the homeless are foreigners that aren't even supposed to be in the country without a job to sustain themselves. Housing those people would make the immigration situation much worse than it already is.
@@Volkbrecht Said like a true right wing fanatic! All of you guys sound just like some kind of hive mind. Or like you've all memorized EXACTLY the same pages of the same book. Not an original thought in the whole lot of you!
We need to do more in the UK to help the homeless, wherever they come from.
@@cattymajiv You know, when a lot of people see the same things it may well be that these things are true. In which case you can rage and rave against something you don't like, or you can start questioning your own worldview.
Aside from that, a generally useful advice: allow some nuance in your thinking, otherwise you will loose the ability to see it in the world. A conservative approach to evaluating a singular solution that has not been implemented anywhere else in the world despite not being very original does not make me a "right-wing fanatic". The idea of "put people in homes" is actually quite wide-spread in Europe, lots of countries do that. Where it becomes interesting is the question of how much effort they are willing to invest to keep them there. Maybe you're familiar with the phrase "You just can't help some people"? Conservatism is generally based on experience.
USA , before the ACLU and the courts closed many hospitals and support institutions, there wasn't a homeless problem. But then, there weren't the drug and illegal immigration problems we currently have. There are many programs available, both public and privately funded. The Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City used to be a mental health hospital that provided care that defied the common belief that these hospitals were horrible places for people to be. In the sixties my father was a counselor for The Boys Training School where troubled children were sent. Some were convicted murderers. The place was safe enough for dad to take us kids swimming on Thursdays and outings with the placed kids. When the courts closed down solutions like my dad was involved in, the solutions to many disappeared. The man at the end of the video was ignorant. No one in America is denied medical treatment. There is funding and care available. I don't believe that Finland has solved its homeless problem because there aren't statistics to back up what is being shown. For how many success stories, as the people in the video indicate, how many failures are there?
It's really good to see that there's comprehensive help for homeless people here. Too often the places where authorities expect the homeless to sleep are more dangerous than the street.
This is an amazing achievement and a giant leap for humanity.
More countries should follow Finlands example.
Well done 👏👏👏👏
As a Swede I have to admit I'm a bit jealous of Finland. We don't have a huge problem with homelessness here but it's clear they've done a much better job in Finland.
Let me guess they are closer to socialists who tax average people 50% or higher they steal that money from hard workers to pay for people who refuse to work and support themselves.
And I’m highly jealous of Sweden.
Would like to experience your kind of life quality.
@@seydaergunes I'm willing to bet this video is painting a rosy picture. Of course the people that run the program will not say anything derogatory about it. The truth is, most homeless could be given a lovely home, 100K in their pocket, a new SUV, and a 100K job and in 2-3 years they would be dead or right back where they came from. Most homeless can't be helped, it's like throwing your hopes, hard work, and money into a black hole.
@@Bob_Adkins You're everything that's wrong with the world.
@@sahamal_savu Lies can be ugly, but the truth can be even uglier, especially to naive, clueless people.
Love this. There’s absolutely no excuse for homelessness in the Western world.
In the US many homeless people have severe mental problems and cannot take care of themselves. But our laws say that people are “free” to live and die on the streets, unable to feed, clothe or shelter themselves. They cannot be forced to do anything except clear out when a cleanup takes garbage and tents.
@@virginia3222I've never had a home and you're lying only 1% of the homeless are severely mentally ill beyond taking care of themselves that's why California had to expand its definition of gravely disabled.. the problem for America fixing homelessness is that Americans believe in blame Force punishment and control.. and we have no basic right to housing as we should be as how we are all human and we all have different capabilities there will always be those less capable and living at the bottom who are affected by those who are more capable.. because America is such a narcissist self-centered society of status in class one doesn't have the choice always to have a home as others get to choose whether you're worthy enough to rent or not.........
Only one excuse a government who does not care about it's people...
@@spirit_wolf123 12% of california homeless have hallucinations. Yes the vast majority of people can be helped. But I'd think its a bit more than 1%, would need serious treatment and constant monitoring.
@@spirit_wolf123. Excellently put. So true. Thank you
A lack of community& communication (support), is at the root of all social ills. This program, that continues to provide support, is simple & brilliant! I hope that America, at least sees the practical benefits of this, until we are able to find our heart
I am proud of Finland. Putting people first is the purpose of community, country, and government. When people come first, other problems become solved.
On the Eve of our supposed most charitable day of the year, a lot of people will freeze to death or die a violent death due to homelessness. Bless these people and may they be an example.
Well I will help my family before anyone else they come over here then get out and get a job I will not help them I only seen a father with 4 kids on here that I would help and I am praying god will help that dad with the 4 kids only the rest love there drugs and that why they are homeless .get a job get a job and get your self off the streets.
An example for what? Finish your story.......
That happens more than we admit or know about. People freeze to death trying to seek shelter New Years Eve.
See if anyone can immigrate there. PROBABLY NOT. I bet the Finnish people take care of the Finnish people FIRST, born in the Country of Finland, it's Citizens.
@@rosieE121meanwhile in Australia people are dying from heat on new years
"you will never be so low that we will not be beside you" that's one of the most beautiful things I've heard in my life from a human being to another, God bless you for all this, it's really needed in the world
I’m so impressed by Finland’s approach to affordable housing to end homelessness❣️Praying the US is empowered to follow their example. BLESSINGS!🙏🏻
We certainly have resources in America to end homelessness but they are waisted or not allocated properly. There is also some people that they do not want to follow any rules and they rather live on the streets than go to counseling and get help with addiction or mental health and get a job.
@@PablaMMoore Yada yada yada! Do any of you right wing fanatics EVER think for yourselves? You all spew the EXACT same BS!
How wonderful to hear Finland is serious about finding homes for the homeless. Bravo! Bless them.
In the end it’s so simple - you just have to actually tackle the problem. Feels like here in Canada things keep getting worse because we keep finding excuses and trying every single things except what would actually work. Raise taxes, use them to put buildings in places even if people might complain, combine them with the necessary services.
Big respect to the Housing First program ... it doesn't simply provide a house ... it offers them a home ...'Housing First' represents humanity.
unfortunately it just won't work in the US. i want it to but it simply doesn't
Very proud of Finland and the people behind this programme. Hopefully the world can follow and get rid of homelessness.
The problem is not solved until they become working, productive citizens.
@@manuelvazquez8758
Since the homeless are suffering from either drug addiction, mental, &/or physical health issues, and perhaps have no idea of basic hygiene, how
to shop for, and prepare healthy food, realistically are they going to get and keep a job? For every available position, they would, be competing with people in good health, who have relevant work experience. As a grown adult, most likely they'd have a either a blank resume, or one that has skills that are non-existent, or severely outdated. And who would want to hire them anyway? Would you choose an unknown quantity such as them, over a "normal" person? Would you throw caution to the wind, and just take a chance on them? From your comment, I already know that you definitely would not. Your standard answer, they should get a job,that you keep robotically repeating, is not a solution to poverty, or homelessness. And be aware, in this post COVID economy it's only going to get much worse. With rents, rapidly rising, and mortgage rates spiraling out of control, too soon we'll start to see "average" families literally out on our streets.
Never will happen in the US. Housing is a commodity that can be exploited for generating capital. The US was founded as a colony for the wealthy to exploit and will continue to remain a colony for the wealthy to exploit.
Yes , here in America the government should provide free homes for everyone,in addition to free healthcare,clothing, food, transportation, college, and bling. Just tax the cash cow middle class.easy.
i'm from Finland and i used to be homeless my entire teen life and early adulthood. don't be fooled by this video, these housing benefits are only available in the capital city Helsinki. few cities down, the issues are still there. many of these ''shelters'' are taking advantage of homeless people, they promise you an apartment once you have worked at a specific place for certain time. i worked those slave labor jobs for 2 years and i never got my apartment from them. when i say slave labor i really mean it, minimum wage here is 9 bucks an hour, but those jobs pay 9 bucks a day. A DAY. you can barely eat with that. but food isn't the only thing a human needs... you will be put to shelter housing initially and you will live in a same room with 4 other people, and theres criminals, addicts, and illegals in the same room with you, you gona have to sleep other eye open. this is why most prefer living outside than in the shelter.
homelessness is not solved. its going worse and worse every year. i mean, where do you think all those refugees from other countries go to? they get housing, but us who already live here and who lost their homes due to bad cards in life, we are completely neglected.
Beautiful ❤ well done Finland 👏 treat them like humans and help them..raise them up!! 💪🙌 🙏
Housing First + Mental healthcare/addiction rehabilitation = Love
❤
🙏 God bless Finland & Housing First 🙏 I was recently homeless for over two years, a 61 year old woman with heart problems. Worst days and nights of my life.
I am glad that things are better for you.
Been there too. Currently stable for three years at 65. It was hell.
How did you dog yourself out of it?
Then you worked? You said recently....you made an attempt to make your situation better.....you didn't wait for hand outs like this video.......
@@beckyestrada7339you didn't rely on freebies did you from tax payers?
Wow 👌 Finland's ability to understand and prioritize benevolence and humanity is something to respect and admire...America needs to TAKE NOTES
There is no perfect country! Finland isn't perfect either but at least they're trying to be better than they were before. It's worse to make no effort to solve a problem than to try to solve it and fail. America isn't even trying!
We as a nation rarely look to better functioning nations for ways to improve our society. My favorite stupid quote is "America is the greatest country in the world." By almost any measure compared to the OEC nations we obviously are not.
@@patland1762indeed. But the US certainly shines in terms of nationalist propaganda. 😂😢
@@newolde1
CRUEL!!!
.
.
.
.
But fair!!
it's the 22 million invaders that's the problem. each one costs the American people $400.00 per day, but our vets get nothing..VOTE REPUBLICAN next time...
this video actually increases my hope in humanity. It's so important, I feel happy seeing people care.
Well done Finland. You have more compassion for humans than the US ever will. 🖤🖤
Please, no antisemitism
The American government has no desire to fix this issue!
Trump does
@@christineroberts9780 hahahaha
wait...
HAHAHAHAHAHA
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😅😅🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂
They're the ones who caused the homelessness problem in the first place.
@@christineroberts9780You have not been listening to what Trump is saying. He is talking about blood being poisoned and vermin. He wants to be an Austrian painter, not a Helsinki humanitarian.
What is his plan to fix homelessness?@@christineroberts9780
I love Finland 🇫🇮 I visited there 3 times. Twice in 2007 and once in 2010. The people there are so kind.
Great story.....next
Tell us more a out your great story and how you visited a place on earth. Please.
May God continue to bless Finland for treating people like people. May the USA and other countries start a housing 1st program and build low income buildings. Get homeless people off the streets in Jesus name!!!
@@dandychiggins6802 It must be exhausting getting angry over the Internet for nothing.
❤
I seriously believe homelessness in America is by design. The threat of homelessness must loom ever-larger over all of us, to keep us sacrificing ourselves to the system.
Very informative and insightful. Ultimately, it depends on where your society’s values are. Fighting the homelessness in courts, NIMBY, homeless grifting operations masquerading as humanitarian organizations, etc etc. These just show where our priorities are regarding the homeless here in California.
It’s encouraging to see the success in Finnish society.
Great job, Finland! I wish America would learn from your example. People caring about people. Thats how it should be. ❤❤❤
Americans only care about money ...not people...😅😅
Exactly. I hope we can do something similar in the UK. When the Conservative government is replaced by Labour in the next election then there will be more hope.
You never know, if Trump wins the next election in the US then he may focus more on the homeless problem in the US.
ask the hardworking,, taxpayers about that.....and especially those at or below the poverty level...pay and pay, .. No one should be homeless. it is wrong and should never happen. Remember America send billions and more of those taxpayers dollars all over the world to help. some help.@housingdinosaur8185
Finland is full of hard working, educated, intelligent people. The US is being flooded with the failures of the world. The US is done.
@@damianjones6546 Trump only cares about himself. He's the worst. His psychologist niece, Mary, thinks he's a psychopath. She wrote a book about him, " Too Much and Never Enough". There's a lot going on psychologically. I'd like to see a mass Exodus from religions that teach dogma and fear. We need people thinking for themselves. Love 💕 and 🚨 light! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
It's all about restoring human dignity, enabling them to start anew. Great work, Finland. Your high education is reflected in your remarkable values of integrity, compassion, and excellence. Thank you for giving them hope.❤
If it was about that, most people should be homeless lol. The problem is your view of these people. I know most people WITH homes who lack dignity, integrity and self respect.
That's what Christ's BE ATTITUDES DO , THEY RESTORE EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWS THEM , it's a great pity that His Wisdom has been Cancelled , ❤
The blueprint for this program has many facets from the stages of a roof overhead, to private room with lock and shared amenities, to apartment, all inner city. Most standout points were the ongoing daily interraction with any type of assistance, social services advice and most of all patience and passion of the workers. Impressive achievement for all involved. May your efforts continue as it is an obvious success story.
Blame the real estate speculators for raising the rents. The people who buy homes, hold them or rent them out after doing a few renovations.
As an American born person, I have LOVED Finland as a whole for over a decade. They are my autistic obsession. We could learn so much from these wonderful people. Thank you for bringing lite to their ways of life. True Humaniatrians.
Imagine a country that could find appropriate jobs for us, the autistic community! Instead the homeless in America are not diagnosed with ASD and forced into mental illness programs which is terrible. My girlfriend who I believe is also on the ASD spectrum is forced into jobs that simply don't work for her and I can't get her to understand that these jobs are not the best fit. Yet they keep trying and she goes along with it because according to the bureaucracy in order to receive housing and food stamps she must. It's a lose-lose situation. How many times do you have to accept deli jobs when you're a college degree holder? She's been fired more times than I can count.
This is incredible to watch as an American. Thank you, Mark, for all your work.
yeah, as in its not credible. There are 5.5 million people in finland. there are 40 million people in california. The average temp in finland is 33F. Its 67F in southern california. Failed red state economies like alabama send their homeless to california by both lying to them about the quality of life on the streets in california, as well as by not having any social nets of their own.
Finland is an isolated country in the snow.
California has worldwide appeal and millions of people from all around the world every year coming to become a star, and failing, only to end up on the streets.
Finland is finland.
america is not finland.
america has a massive "voluntarily homeless" problem. Finland has never had that.
@@SanityTV_Last_Sane_Man_Alive if we mention population and attractiveness as reasons the US has more of a problem with homelessness we should also mention economics. The US has more than enough money to make up for the population difference, and the attractiveness to move and work there means that there will always be jobs in need of filling (a demand for work means cheap labour, meaning more business' move there) giving even more incentive to get the homeless back into the working field
@SanityTV_Last_Sane_Man_Alive Maybe if corporations paid their fair share, we wouldn't have this problem.The tax-avoiding companies represent various industries and collectively enjoyed almost $40.5 billion in U.S. pretax income in 2020, according to their annual financial reports. The statutory federal tax rate for corporate profits is 21 percent.
@@SanityTV_Last_Sane_Man_AliveThe 55 corporations would have paid a collective total of $8.5 billion for the year had they paid that rate on their 2020 income. Instead, they received $3.5 billion in tax rebates.
@@SanityTV_Last_Sane_Man_AliveAccording to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, it would cost $20 billion to end homelessness in the United States.
When you hear people say "Finland is the happiest country in the world" This is one of the reasons why. -When they say "Happiest in the world" what they mean is how much the citizens trust their government, their police, their politicians etc. Finns aren't happy because they enjoy snow, or live beside a lake in a log cabin. They're happy because they (highly) trust their government, emergency services, social care systems and public infrastructures. The Housing First initiative absolutely is instrumental in the happiness of the people here as well as the cultural implications of other areas such as public transport, public libraries, health care, and security.
I’m fighting to try to save enough money to get out of California, I just want to buy land and build myself up from there. I know it’s going to be a hard process but I’ll do it for my family.
I was homeless in USA 5 YEARS and i left and went to MEXICO, 10 years homeless in México...now thanks to God and 1 good person , I have lived in the same house and job taking care of horses for 14 years in México 👍😀
I’m very happy for your good fortune.
I'm so glad your life is better now🤗🙏🏻!
I am taking care of one horse too!
Cheers!
Finland is consistently ranked one in education and now they are doing best to solve homelessness. Their government has really a heart for its citizens. The fact that they make everyone empowered is a very good example of excellent governance. I hope in my lifetime, I'll see my country Philippines following the footsteps of Finland even with just a mere light. As I learned from the documentary, their government had been doing interventions since 2008 so it is my hope that in the coming years this solution will at least reach our politicians and study it on how to make it more suitable to our country so that it will make a difference to the lives of their citizens.
If Finland really "had a heard for their Citizens", they would close their borders. Finland for Fins...
PISA scores just dropped like 20 places in ranking
Their government IS citizens. Unlike some other countries.
To understand why it works you need to realize that the government IS the people. It's the same thing here in Finland. I moved to Finland with my family 4 years ago. And the main reason to move was finns themselves. The culture. How people treat each other. In what other country are people saying "thank you" to a bus driver when leaving a bus?
@@hoblon people in every single country say thank you to bus drivers
This seems to address the underlying personal issues. Not just giving a place to live. Other Countries need to follow this shining example.
It is the same in all countries here in northern Europe. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark - we do not have homeless people living on the streets. In the summer, beggars come from Romania - and they can sit outside - but have often arranged accommodation - or are given accommodation. In winter, sometimes people from other countries also come, but they also get some form of accommodation - it is dangerous to sleep outside in low temperatures. The reason is very simple. Everyone has the right to a place to live, electricity and money for food through the social system we have here. You must obtain a private lease yourself and give it to the authorities - then it will be paid. You have a right - but you also have some requirements that you must meet - either go to school, attend a jobseeker's course or take jobs that the authorities give you - preferably in private companies so that you can gain work experience.
I must say that I have met plenty of people with good jobs who are priced out of a home. That is crazy.
Must be spending too much.
@@emusaurus turns out starting their young adult lives in debt is not good for their financial independence.
Land of the free, where you start life enslaved (and most likely will remain and die as a slave).
Here in St Augustine Fl, the rates of housing have went up so much in the last few years, it’s causing service workers to not be able to afford housing anymore. The apartments are charging more than they ever have to rent. It’s causing many to become homeless.
@@emusaurusturns out advising children for 12 years to "get the college loan and not to worry about it you'll just pay it off with the job you get" backfired severely :/
Have others noticed the pride these people take in their new homes, decorating them and such? ❤ Also, the first woman shown (pink decor in apt.) was the first formerly homeless person whom I could not identify as having been homeless based on her appearance. Just halting the negative health consequences of homelessness can be a money saver.
Wow those are nice places. When I was (almost) homeless I could have lived well in one hundredth of that space. (Easier to keep clean and organized!) So envious of anyone who is legal to stay permanently in Finland! It’s the insult of having ZERO of an essential life resource that kills, or permanently damages, or alienates people. Add in the access to productive unpaid activities and this project is the perfect picture of what a well thought out UBI system would achieve.
I was thinking that its only a money saver if the public has to pay either way, here (USA) a homeless persons health bill gets written off as bad debt or charity by the local hospital the government is not on the hook for the bill. Since the public doesn't pay directly for these health problems there is no incentive to reduce homelessness from a financial standpoint. As someone who thinks each person is responsible for their own life and getting and keeping a job and finding a place to live that is affordable for them I don't really like the public paying for something that each person should be paying for themselves. But I also see the absolute mess that most homeless people are mentally, and realize many really can't hold a job of almost any kind.
So the question becomes do I think that they should just be on the street to die or should the public pay a small amount to provide some very basic functional housing for anyone who needs it? I think maybe yes, if its very basic, to keep the costs low, I think I am okay with even addicts living for the rest of their lives in such a place. It seems that Finland has paired these housing situations with lots of people who interact daily with the residents and I think that human contact can help these people come back from the abyss and begin to put their lives together, give them a reason to keep living and maybe one day be able to maintain a job and move into regular housing again.
It seems that the shown homeless people in this video where making progress in taking some responsibility, working at the housing place a few times per week and taking care of their apartments. These seem to be the first steps toward becoming self supported again. Which to me really has to be the end goal of any of these programs. Just giving people a place to live without encouraging them to get clean/sober and rejoin society would seem to be enabling their addiction. I would be interested to know how much this costs Finland. Its seems relatively economical housing but also lots of salaries in personnel to run them.
@@lexpox329in the long run, a program such as this saves a lot of money (and lives). First of all it saves money on expensive healthcare, such as emergency services, as well as costs around cleaning up around camps on the streets, etc. However, the biggest benefit is that, in time, the people, who would’ve otherwise been a constant drain on a cold inhumane system, turn into contributing members of society. So, in essence, what this type of program does is: first; reducing the cost of homelessness, and second; in the long term, making more taxpayers.
All of which are well known benefits of reducing human suffering.
I have not seen ur videos in a while, but to come back and see this, that somewhere in the world (Finland) there is something being done with success, is amazing!❤
this is my standard of humanity. I will support efforts like that, always.
I'm technically homeless ,but I have Social security,a job,never did drugs, a car payment and a storage unit. I just don't make enough to pay 900 - 1000 a month for an apartment.
Respect!! Keep on grinding, you'll find a home soon.
That rent is too high for most wages. I agree. Government should do more subsidies and have lower rent but safe mini houses or apartments made to be permanent dwellings.
@rosieE121 no, government should stay the fuck out of our business. The only reason you can't have a mini house is because of government. In my opinion, the less government the better
I understand. I worked the crazy pandemic after graduating later in life (following the 2008-11 crisis & divorce- left our home to my husband, as it was more than my budget could withstand.
We were working crazy hours from 60-80 hrs a week. My muscles froze up. ED physician referred me to a sports med Dr. That receptionist just yelled "you go to your own dr!". That was the problem, it was a 30 day wait. So, I fell and broke both ankles. One has healed nicely, the other is still incredibly painful every day even 2 years later. It was more like a fall from 3rd story, one physician said.
It took a year to get social security and even though I spent 2 months in bed, 13 months mainly in a wheelchair. I spent every bit of my savings while I waited. My job, who required managers to carry the burden, refused any responsibility.
My property owner tried to kick me out once the money dried up. She didn't want any "government aid" in her property. So, I, personally, know that there are a lot of people who have never used drugs. Have always worked hard. Many don't even touch alcohol. I am always so miffed at how people jump to those conclusions.
God bless those people helping in Finland! You are doing things right!
@rosieE121 people want to be able to afford to live. It's difficult for many to have to be reliant. Being reliant means at any moment you many lose everything.
Even former homeless people speak English in Finland - a true testimony of their top-level education system.
No. We just don't dub movies in Scandinavia like the Germans, French or Spanish do. So we read subtitles and learn most English that way.
Same in Romania, plus Spanish, Portuguese and Italian
Many homeless people are college educated. Some of them just have tragic events or injuries or divorces or prescription drug problems after surgery. I think there are a thousand roads to homelessness in the USA.
Yes and no. Most Finns can stammer at least a bit of English after completing their mandatory schooling (many Finns also have pretty high education levels due to education being free), but these days it's largely because the pool of Finnish speakers is so small that much of popular entertainment and software isn't available in Finnish (dubs for audio, translated versions of games and programs etc).
In USA they teach pronouns and false history (more than in Finland)...instead something useful
As a Finn, I have heard about "housing first," but I have never heard what it really means. Oh my gosh, I am so proud of having this system in Finland. I am super proud of the people who are enabling this system and working for the homeless people to get their lives together.
On top of that, I am so happy for and proud of the homeless people who have been able to get forward with their lives with the support.