Homelessness in Kotka doubles as unpaid rent blocks housing access

Homelessness in the southeastern Finnish city of Kotka more than doubled last year, with unpaid rent debts preventing many—including a local man identified only as Tomppa—from securing permanent housing, reports public broadcaster Yle.

The number of people without a fixed address in Kotka surged by 122 percent in 2023, the sharpest relative increase in Finland, according to a January report by Varken, the state-funded housing construction agency. With 80 homeless residents, the city of 50,000 now faces growing pressure on its limited shelter system.

A temporary emergency shelter opened in February in central Kotka, offering space for four people per night. Since its launch, the facility has never been empty, though it is set to close on May 11. For Tomppa, who has spent nearly a year without stable housing, the shelter provides critical overnight relief—but accessing it requires daily approval from social workers.

“It’s stressful to start each morning wondering where you’ll sleep that night,” he told Yle.

Without the shelter, Kotka’s homeless have few options. Unlike larger cities, the city lacks 24-hour public spaces; even shopping centers and the train station close overnight. Tomppa, who struggles with decades-long amphetamine use and has never held formal employment, spends his days moving between the library, a volunteer-run soup kitchen, and a public pool where he showers using a city-provided free pass.

His path to homelessness began after A-Clinic, a social services provider, discontinued its supported housing program in 2019. Tomppa lost his dog and his tenuous housing stability, eventually leaving a maritime cooking program after a drug-related arrest. “I quit school right then. That was a stupid move,” he admitted.

City officials acknowledge the growing need. Tarja Mäntynen, director of adult social services for the Kymenlaakso welfare region, confirmed negotiations are underway to extend the shelter’s operation beyond its May closure. “We truly hope the night shelter can continue next winter,” she said.

For now, Tomppa and others like him face an uncertain summer—one that, as he noted, at least brings warmer nights.

Homelessness rises across Finland

While absolute numbers remain highest in major cities—Helsinki counted 979 homeless in 2023, a 25 percent increase—Kotka’s relative spike was the most dramatic. Other cities seeing significant growth include Vantaa (+43 percent) and Lahti (+25 percent). Nationally, homelessness has risen for two consecutive years, driven by unpaid rent, substance abuse, mental health struggles, and unemployment.