Nordic Homelessness Alliance Association brings together key actors working on homelessness from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Originally launched by Y-Säätiö in 2023 as a Nordic network, the collaboration has now evolved into an official association to strengthen long-term cooperation across the region.
The association aims to deepen Nordic collaboration with the shared goal of reducing and ultimately ending homelessness in the Nordic countries. By combining research, practical expertise, and policy development, the association works to create concrete, scalable solutions and contribute to a globally leading model for ending homelessness.
Nordic Homelessness Alliance Association is built on the idea that meaningful change happens through practical action, shared learning, and cooperation between different sectors. The association supports knowledge exchange, research collaboration, training, advocacy work, and the development of new approaches to homelessness and housing exclusion. Becoming an association also creates stronger opportunities for joint international projects and funding applications.
The Nordic Homelessness Alliance Association has three working groups focusing on different themes.
The primary focus of this working group is to establish a unified voice for the Nordic countries, collectively influencing entities such as the EU, OECD, UN, and the European Platform on Combating Homelessness. Research plays a pivotal role in substantiating our advocacy efforts. The group emphasizes joint Nordic research initiatives and collaborates on funding applications. Staying current with up-to-date information on homelessness issues is crucial, and we are actively working towards standardized data collection methods and sharing effective practices.
Progress has been made in homelessness initiatives across all Northern countries. Now, the emphasis is on sharing best practices, services, and experiences with one another. Our training approach is tailored to specific needs identified by each country, ensuring a targeted and effective strategy for capacity building.
The perception of housing in homelessness work is often narrowly defined. This group aims to broaden the perspective by facilitating discussions on what housing and various housing options entail from the diverse viewpoints of different countries. The goal is to explore innovative approaches and determine if there are undiscovered opportunities in the realm of housing solutions.
Denmark: The Danish Authority of Social Services and Housing, Hjem til Alle, Hjemløsninger, Kirkens Korshæ & the City of Odense
Finland: ARA – The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland, the City of Helsinki, Housing First Network developers, the Ministry of the Environment, The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, North Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county, RETS – Life Without Crime, the City of Tampere, Tampere University & Y-Säätiö
Iceland: The City of Reykjavik
Norway: The City of Bergen, Husbanken, NTNU Samfunnsforskning AS & the City of Oslo
Sweden: The City of Göteborg, Göteborgs Stadsmission, the City of Lund, Lund University, the City of Malmö. the City of Nyköping, Stockholms Stadsmission & the City of Stockholm
If you are interested in joining or participating in the Nordic Homelessness Alliance Association, please contact Juha Kahila, Head of International Affairs at Y-Säätiö.