Reykjavik symposium examines homelessness from several angles

A symposium on homelessness is taking place at Reykjavik City Hall on Friday, with discussion of research, Nordic cooperation and personal experiences of support services, mbl.is reports.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon in Tjarnarsalur, a hall at the city hall, and is being streamed live. Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir is opening the symposium.

Social worker Ólöf Brynja will present findings from her master’s research in a session titled “From housing to inclusion.” Soffía Hjördís Ólafsdóttir, who heads the field of services for homeless people with extensive and complex needs, and Louise Marie Pedersen, founder and chief executive of Hjemløsninger, will discuss homelessness and Nordic cooperation.

A session on experiences of support services will bring together Kristín Svafarsdóttir, a nursing assistant student and former service user, and Þorbjörg Valgeirsdóttir, head of the VoR team.

The symposium will conclude with a panel on social responsibility and the role of the wider community. Panellists include designer and musician Gunni Hilmars, founder of the Loftur Gunnarsson Memorial Fund; barber Lilja Torfadóttir; nurse Bjartey Ingibergsdóttir; Kristín Svafarsdóttir; and Simon Agust Steinsson, a team leader in the VoR team.