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Homelessness in Sweden

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A homeless person's bed in Göteborg, Sweden, 2013.

Homelessness in Sweden affects c. 28,000 people.[1]

The Swedish government's response to homelessness has included commissioning national surveys on homelessness during the last decade that allow for direct comparison between Sweden, Denmark and Norway.[2] The three countries have very similar definitions of homelessness, with minor variations.[3]

Some researchers maintain that measures to counteract homelessness in Sweden are largely dependent on a general premise equating homelessness with addiction, mental illness and deviance.[4] On the other hand, youth homelessness is considered a child protection problem.[5]

Surveys

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The National Board of Health and Welfare (Swedish: Socialstyrelsen) has released a survey of homelessness every six years since 2011. They cover 4 groups of homeless people in Sweden:

  1. Acute homelessness
    Lives in emergency housing, hostel, protected shelter or similar. Also includes living outside, in garages/stairwells/cellars/public places/attics/tents/cars or similar.
  2. Institution or assisted living, to leave within 3 months
    People that are currently in housing for people with disabilities, compulsory care, youth care, foster care or imprisoned, but who has to leave within 3 months without any housing solution prepared.
  3. Long-term living arrangements organised by the Social Services
    Housing solutions with a contract for housing combined with supervision, special rules and limited house ownership rights (Swedish: besittningsrätt).
  4. Private short-term living arrangement
    Lives non-voluntarily, temporary and without a contract among friends or acquaintances and with family or relatives.
Survey results
Year Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Total Notes Reference
2011 4500 5600 13900 6800 30800 Numbers are approximate.
[6]
2017 5935 4899 15838 5726 32398 The total would be 30090 with 2023's methodology.
[7]
2023 4436 2713 16878 3209 27383 The reported total is 147 more than the sum of the groups.
[1]

Street newspapers

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Street newspaper vendor in Stockholm

There are several street newspapers in Sweden. Situation Sthlm,[8] was founded in 1995 and was Sweden's only street newspaper until Faktum and Aluma were founded early in the 2000s.[9]

In 2006 the three street newspapers were awarded the grand prize of Publicistklubben (Swedish Publicists' Association).[8][10]

In 2013, a Swedish tech company created software for the homeless newspaper vendors to accept credit card payments via a mobile app.[11]

In art

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In 2015, a Swedish art exhibition at Malmö Konsthall titled “The Alien Within: A Living Laboratory of Western Society” included two homeless people from Romania. The homeless people were not accepting money from visitors but were paid at hourly rate by the event organizers.[12]

Health

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Researchers have found that excess mortality among homeless men and women in Stockholm is entirely related to alcohol and drug abuse.[13]

Some researchers have conducted studies on the oral health of homeless people in Sweden and found that they have fewer remaining teeth than the general population.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kartläggning av hemlösheten 2023" [Mapping of the homelessness 2023] (PDF) (in Swedish). National Board of Health and Welfare. 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  2. ^ Busch-Geertsema, Volker. "Defining and measuring homelessness." Homelessness Research in Europe: Festschrift for Bill Edgar and Joe Doherty (2010): 19-39.
  3. ^ Benjaminsen, Lars, and Evelyn Dyb. "The Effectiveness of Homeless Policies–Variations among the Scandinavian Countries." European Journal of Homelessness 2 (2008).
  4. ^ Löfstrand, Cecilia Hansen. "Reforming the work to combat long-term homelessness in Sweden." Acta Sociologica 53, no. 1 (2010): 19-34.
  5. ^ Healy, Karen, Tommy Lundström, and Marie Sallnäs. "A comparison of out-of-home care for children and young people in Australia and Sweden: Worlds apart?." Australian Social Work 64, no. 4 (2011): 416-431.
  6. ^ "Hemlöshet och utestängning från bostadsmarknaden 2011" [Homelessness and exclusion from the housing market 2011] (PDF) (in Swedish). National Board of Health and Welfare. 2011. ISBN 9789186885786. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  7. ^ "Hemlöshet 2017 – omfattning och karaktär" [Homelessness 2017 – extent and substance] (PDF) (in Swedish). National Board of Health and Welfare. 2017. ISBN 9789175554372. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  8. ^ a b Holender, Robert (2006-05-22). "De hemlösas tidningar prisades" [The homeless' newspapers awarded]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  9. ^ Boukhari, Sophie (1999). "The press takes to the street" (PDF). The UNESCO Courier. UNESCO.
  10. ^ "Röster åt utsatta fick publicistpris". Ekot (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 2006-05-22. Archived from the original on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  11. ^ Gibbs, Samuel (18 October 2013). "Stockholm's homeless now accept payments - by debit card" – via The Guardian.
  12. ^ "Are Homeless People Exploited in Swedish Art Installation? - artnet News". 2 February 2015.
  13. ^ Beijer, Ulla, Sven Andreasson, Gunnar Ågren, and Anna Fugelstad. "Mortality and causes of death among homeless women and men in Stockholm." Scandinavian journal of public health 39, no. 2 (2011): 121-127.
  14. ^ De Palma, Patricia, Lars Frithiof, Lena Persson, Björn Klinge, Jan Halldin, and Ulla Beijer. "Oral health of homeless adults in Stockholm, Sweden." Acta Odontologica Scandinavica 63, no. 1 (2005): 50-55.
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