Vantaa works to curb segregation as foreign-background shares near 60%

Vantaa is seeking to prevent residential segregation as the share of residents with a foreign background approaches 60 per cent in some neighbourhoods, Yle reports. The city is investing in urban renewal, activities for residents and language courses.

About 30 per cent of Vantaa’s residents have a foreign background, the highest share of any municipality in Finland. In neighbourhoods including Havukoski, Hakunila and Länsimäki, the city is concerned that segregation could deepen.

Sociology professor Hein de Haas, a migration researcher at the University of Amsterdam, said housing policy and urban planning are key tools for preventing segregation. He has studied migration and integration around the world for more than 30 years.

In Havukoski, about 59 per cent of residents have a foreign background and 56 per cent live in rental housing, both well above the city average. The neighbourhoods also have Vantaa’s lowest education levels and highest unemployment rates.

Vantaa has worked to prevent segregation since launching its first programme on the issue around 2018. Deputy Mayor Riikka Åstrand said the city aims to distribute residents more evenly, so that people of a particular income level, language group or social class are not concentrated in one neighbourhood.

The city is planning significant upgrades to shopping-centre districts in Havukoski and Hakunila, as well as to areas around railway stations. Vantaa has recently secured more than 90 per cent ownership of the Havukoski shopping centre, giving it control over the site’s development.

A street culture centre called Halo is due to open in Havukoski soon. A separate programme will offer support to parents and families, activities for children and young people, and guidance and everyday-life coaching for residents.

De Haas said learning the local language is the most important factor in successful integration, including access to employment. He argued that migrants should be able to access high-quality language teaching easily from the outset, including people who are in the country temporarily.

In Vantaa, people eligible for integration training currently wait one to three months to begin.