Bridging Borders: Y-Säätiö Explores Hogar Sì's Approach to Ending Homelessness

Erasmus+ accreditation in the field of adult education afforded us the opportunity to experience job shadowing at Hogar Sì, a nonprofit organization established in 1998 with the mission to ensure that every individual has a place to call home. The organization operates across 10 Spanish regions and focuses on three core areas: the right to housing, the right to health, and the right to employment. From 16-19 May 2023, Elisabetta Leni and Raine Helskyaho experienced firsthand the initiatives and activities undertaken by Hogar Sì to end homelessness in Spain.

We were particularly impressed by the "Housing for Health Recovery" project which combines housing with social intervention and healthcare support for homeless individuals with severe health conditions. Through this initiative, medication adherence is improved, emergency room visits and hospitalization days are reduced, and dignified support for recovery or end-of-life care is provided. As Finland is currently facing similar issues, this project could potentially be implemented in our context.

Another noteworthy project discussed during our visit was the "Right to Housing" pilot project. Through this three-year initiative, individuals who have been residing in shelters and emergency accommodations for extended periods are offered homes with necessary support. The project has achieved success in facilitating the transition to stable housing. However, concerns arise regarding the availability of funds after the pilot period ends.

Hogar Sì employs a dedicated team of five individuals for research and evaluation, along with five personnel responsible for data collection and management. We were introduced to their comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework which ensures actions align with their goals and continuously seeks ways to enhance their operations through process evaluation. Hogar Sì also collaborates with universities on research activities, with cost-effectiveness analysis standing out as one of their primary areas of interest.

We were informed about the Spanish housing market during a session with the staff of Provivienda. Ownership is predominant, accounting for 75.2% of housing, while rental properties constitute the remaining share. Social housing represents only 2.5% of the overall housing stock, in contrast to 9.3% in the European Union and around 13% in Finland. Since 2015, there has been a constant rise in average rental prices for primary residences across all Spanish territories, with rental expenses consistently surpassing the recommended 30% threshold. The Spanish government has taken proactive measures to address the housing crisis through the State Plan for Access to Housing 2022-2025.

Fresno Consultancy, another partner organization of Hogar Sì, told us about their involvement in developing the deinstitutionalization strategy in collaboration with the Spanish government. The plan involves organizing services, transforming institutions, prevention, human resource training, governance at both vertical and horizontal levels, and research. Spain is utilizing the EU NextGeneration funds to promote deinstitutionalization in various areas, including homelessness. Finland has been implementing a homelessness deinstitutionalization policy since 2008 and our experience served as an inspiration for them.

Conclusion

Our job-shadowing experience at Hogar Sì has been eye-opening. We have witnessed firsthand the practical measures taken by the organization to end homelessness in Spain. We have also gained a deeper understanding of the Spanish housing market, the deinstitutionalization policies, and the research and evaluation activities conducted by Hogar Sì. We are confident that the knowledge and experience gained during this job-shadowing trip will be invaluable for our work in Finland. The exchanges with the dedicated team of Hogar Sì are sure to foster further collaboration in the future.

Elisabetta Leni and Raine Helskyaho, Y-Foundation