The number of young homeless people sleeping on the streets of Helsinki is on the rise, according to the NGO No Fixed Abode - or Vailla vakinaista asuntoa (VVA) in Finnish.
"The number of disadvantaged people, and the proportion of people in their thirties, sleeping on the streets is clearly higher than in previous years," VVA Head of Services Jussi Lehtonen told Yle, adding he estimated that between 40 and 80 people slept in public toilets in Helsinki's city centre during the month of April.
More than half of that number were under 35 years old, Lehtonen said.
The NGO estimates that there may be as many as a couple of hundred young people sleeping rough in the city on any given night.
"It is difficult to estimate the exact number, but we are already talking about hundreds, and not any more about dozens," Lehtonen said.
Young people living on the street have to find a place to sleep every night. Some of them will seek emergency accommodation, but for a large number any sheltered place will do.
"Sometimes a young person ends up in a public toilet, a stairwell, or if luck goes their way, they might get to a friend’s couch," Lehtonen added.
Lack of services for disadvantaged youth
For the past five years, there have been considerably fewer people living on the street in Helsinki due to a long-term homelessness reduction programme which provided most homeless people with a roof over their head.
"In 2013–2014, only about five people visited the Night Centre Kalkkers emergency accommodation unit [a "low threshold crisis spot" for homeless people in Helsinki] on average per night," Lehtonen said. "Almost all of the city’s long-term homeless had obtained housing units through the reduction programme."
However, homelessness is increasing again, especially among younger age groups, because society is not providing sufficient support for the most vulnerable children and young people, Lehtonen said.
This lack of support subsequently leads to adult homelessness, he added.
"These are long-term exclusionary trends. The most disadvantaged groups of children and young people are left out of the services of our society," Lehtonen said.
