'Housing First': How Sweden's Gothenburg is reducing homelessness
Gothenburg, Sweden, has successfully reduced homelessness by implementing the 'Housing First' model, which provides permanent housing without requiring prior sobriety or mental health treatment. The program has seen high retention rates, with 80-90% of participants remaining in their homes.
Why it matters
Offers a data-backed alternative to traditional homelessness services that prioritizes stability as a prerequisite for recovery.
Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city, has seen a sharp decline in homelessness after adopting Housing First, a model that puts people into permanent homes before requiring them to address issues such as addiction or mental health.The city counted around 3,000 homeless people in 2026, including 411 classified as acutely homeless — those living on the streets or in shelters. Over the past decade, acute homelessness has fallen by about 60 per cent, while overall homelessness has dropped by just under 40 per cent.At the heart of the initiative is a simple principle: housing comes first. The programme provides people with permanent homes without requiring sobriety or other preconditions.
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