Lahti takes homelessness support onto the streets as numbers rise

Homelessness is continuing to increase in Finland, and outreach workers in Lahti are taking support directly to people on the streets, Yle reports.

From April to September, the Askel outreach programme met 147 people in Lahti and nearby areas who were homeless or at risk of losing their homes. Some were seen more than once, bringing the total number of meetings to more than 300. The work is part of a project to reduce long-term homelessness in Lahti.

Project worker Niina Taipalus visits places where people gather alongside social counsellor Julia Haajanen, who knows local services. Taipalus said the work is always done in pairs. Moving from homelessness into a home often requires support, she added.

Homelessness rose in Finland in 2025 by more than in any previous year. Experts say it appears set to increase for a third consecutive year. Long-term homelessness and homelessness on the streets have risen particularly sharply, with street homelessness increasing by more than 60 per cent in two years.

In November 2025, Finland had 4,579 homeless people living alone, including 1,306 who were long-term homeless. Lahti had 129 homeless people living alone in 2025, according to statistics from Varke, the Centre for State-Supported Housing Construction.

Erja Morottaja, communications officer at the Vailla vakinaista asuntoa association, said more than 200 people may now visit its Vepa peer and volunteer activity centre on a busy day. The centre in Pasila, Helsinki, provides a place for people without homes to spend time. Last year, a busy day brought about 100 visitors, she said.

Morottaja said she believes the national homelessness figures will rise from the previous year and has also seen more people staying in emergency accommodation. She attributed the increase to cuts made by the government, including reductions in housing benefits, and to what she described as a harder social climate.

Taipalus said she is increasingly receiving calls from people who may not need social services but do need help with housing. Families with children are among those facing more problems, the article said.

Tags: homelessness, Lahti, housing