Strong decline in the number of homeless people in Norway
The number of homeless people in Norway is as low as it was 20 years ago.
There has been a large reduction in the number of homeless people in all types of municipalities in Norway in the last four years.
In week 48 in 2016 there were 3,909 homeless people in Norway, which corresponds to 0.75 per 1,000 inhabitants. In 2012, the number of homeless persons was 6.259, which corresponded to 1.26 per 1 000 inhabitants.
This shows that there has been a decline equivalent to 36 percent from 2012 to 2016.
The number of homeless people has not been lower since the first survey was carried out in 1996.
This is reflected in a nationwide survey conducted by the City and Regional Research Institute NIBR at Oslo and Akershus University. Persons who are temporarily in the country and are homeless are not included in the survey.
Housing important factor
The most important explanation for the sharp decline in the number of homeless people is long-term and broad focus on residential social work and the development of residential social skills.
Norway has had a residential approach in the work of homelessness.
This means that homelessness is understood as a housing problem, not primarily or solely as a social problem, and the provision of housing with or without follow-up is considered essential to prevent and reduce homelessness, says researcher and project manager Evelyn Dyb at the NIBR City and Regional Research Institute at Oslo and Akershus University of Applied Sciences.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
