The Y-Foundation

A book: A Home of Your Own

Challenge

Finland is the only European country where the number of homeless people is on the decline. The reason for this is the Housing First model that was introduced in the 2000s. In the model, having your own apartment is not seen as a prize that awaits a person once they have got their life back on track, but as a basic right and a foundation on which they can start building their life. The model has aroused a great deal of international interest among the professionals and decision makers who work on homelessness. The Y-Foundation wanted to make a book for them, which would help spread the model and its good practices all over the world.

Solution

We produced a book in English called A Home of Your Own – Housing First and ending homelessness in Finland, which describes the model in detail: How was it born? Who pays for it? How and why did Finland close down homeless shelters? What is life like in a supported housing unit? How does the work approach differ from the previous one and how was the transition to it made?  

We conducted interviews with Finnish pioneers and experts in the work on homelessness for the book and illustrated the model through infographics and photographs. Formerly homeless people’s stories, in which they explain what a home means to them, constitute a major part of the book. We deliberately gave the book a timeless and warm look that supports its message.

Read more: y-saatio.fi