By Veera Vehkasalo
Finland is the only European country where homelessness is decreasing. Juha Kaakinen has played a significant role in this work since the 1980s: as a civil servant for the City of Helsinki; a member of the group that developed the Housing First approach; and as CEO of Y-Foundation, which offers affordable housing to people experiencing homelessness or on low incomes.
Iso Numero: The aim of the Sanna Marin government 2019–2023 was to eradicate homelessness by 2027. Is this a realistic goal?
Juha Kaakinen: Yes, it is. We know the ways to make it possible. Homelessness has decreased in Finland, mainly because of a strong political consensus that homelessness is an important human rights issue.
This article first appeared in Iso Numero, a magazine sold on the streets of Helsinki, Finland by people who have limited other ways of earning an income.