Name on the door - development project 2010-2012
Name on the door, is a Tekes-funded research based development project which aim is to develop services reducing and preventing homelessness to occur in the participating municipalities (Espoo, Helsinki, Tampere and Vantaa). The project is a part of Tekes' Innovations in social and healthcare services programme. The total cost estimate for the project is about 2,7 million €, of which Tekes funding covers around one half. Name on the door is part of the Vanhanen II Government's programme on the reduction of homelessness' implementation.
The core idea is to develop housing services that use the housing first principle. The core method for the co-development is systematic networking between the project partners, where a customer perspective and views of the experts by experience (formerly homeless people) play an important role. NGO's No fixed abode (Vva ry) and Silta-Valmennusyhdistys ry work together with Helsinki deaconess institute and the participating municipalities. The project is coordinated by the employees of Socca - The Centre of expertise on social welfare in Helsinki metropolitan area. Their contact information can be found here. Every project partner also has a coordinator responsible for the project functions. The project is provided with operational support from the steering group. Project carries out international cooperation with American Pathways to Housing organization and European countries interested in the housing first principle.
The project gained its financing in June 2010 and the development work started in August 2010 when the project coordinators started their work. The kick-off seminar was held in Lahti on the 15th of October 2010 which was followed by the start of the project's networking in November 2010. The final and ending seminar will be held on the 17th of October 2012.
Project's development network
The Name on the door project entity is composed of both separate local development projects and intensive networking aiming at producing new information. The selection of local development projects was based on two criteria. First was the projects' striving for a service utilizing the housing first principle: the principle can be developed and researched through these chosen separate projects. The second criteria has been an idea of choosing fairly similar service entities from all the participant municipalities in order to outline homelessness within a longer time period. Homelessness is analyzed as a timely continuum, which consists of three phases:
1) Time before homelessness (PRE)
2) Homelessness time (IN)
3) Time after homelessness (POST)
Every city or partner (Espoo, HDI, Helsinki, Tampere, Vantaa, VVA) has a responsibility to work as a host and as a coordinator for one group in a developer network = 6 groups. Every city or partner also has a responsibility to produce a HF-principled model of service system for homeless people of one target group: the young homeless, homeless people rehabilitating from substance abuse or mental health problems, releasing prisoners and experts by experience.
Cities are participating in the meetings of all groups by recruiting the professionals from the service units of the particular city. Also experts by experience are taking part in every group and they have a responsibility to recruit the experts from their own services. In addition researchers from Socca are present in all the meetings. The project cooperation network is pictured below.
Inclusion as an important part of the project
Homelessness is an obstacle for individuals' possibilities in participating in the different functions of society. Homelessness can be considered as a concrete manifestation of exclusion: its extreme form. Despite of homelessness inclusion can be supported and promoted. On the other hand, according to the housing first principle, housing can be considered as a first step towards inclusion. Not until housing is secured can the individual properly take part in other functions of the society.
In the Name on the door project special focus is on marginalization and one aim is to promote participation and empowerment of homeless people. The development work of inclusion theme is coordinated by the NGO No fixed abode. Inclusion can also be perceived as individuals' opportunities to influence their own surroundings and possibilities to express themselves. Some inclusion projects have been realized as part of the Name on the door project. An overarching idea has been to offer the homeless means and methods to express themselves and find forms of activity that could at best help them overcome the vicious circle of exclusion.
Observations from the first year of the Name on the door project – recommendations for the long-term homelessness reduction programme for years 2012-2015
Get acquainted with some of the core observations and conclusions of the development work done in the Name on the door project so far. These findings are ought to work as guiding ideas for the realization of the second national long-term homelessness reduction programme. These proposals are based on the aim of ending the long-term homelessness until 2015. Find the observations from our Reading room's general reading section.
