Nuremberg: Housing First – finally living

Developed in the USA in the early 1990s, Housing First is now successfully used in numerous countries to combat homelessness. The basic idea is a “right to housing” without preconditions. In contrast to conventional forms of assisted housing, Housing First does not require people to prove themselves in a step-by-step assistance programme before they can move into their own flat, nor does it require them to be willing to abstain, undergo therapy, integrate into the labour market or achieve other agreed-upon assistance goals. People from the target group receive a flat with their own tenancy agreement. Parallel to this, offers of individual support and connection to other available support systems are provided on a voluntary basis. 

Finland is fully committed to the principle of this project and the success rate of over 80 % gives hope. In Nuremberg, 8 people have currently been placed accordingly in the trial stage. Only one person has failed. In the city, about 2,000 men, women and children currently have no home of their own. The next step in the sense of the “right to housing” without preconditions is now to enable self-determined living in a (private) flat without guarantees. To this end, several agencies have joined forces and would like to tackle the next tasks in cooperation with the Social Welfare Office. Now that all applications have been approved, the project can officially start in August.