Housing first for homeless people in Norway

The number of homeless people in Norway has not diminished. An analysis in 2012 revealed 6,200 persons with no residences. This was just a slight decrease from the previous charting of the problem in 2008. To attempt to reduce the problem, a dozen municipalities in Norway have opted for a scheme used in the USA and many European countries known as “Housing First”. The main idea in this American model is that having a home is so indispensable for establishing stability in a person’s life that it should come first – no matter whether the person hasn’t proven motivation to change his or her lifestyle. In addition, these homeless persons should be given the opportunity to decide where they want to live.