Housing
Moniheli ry's Katto-program's activities aim to prevent homelessness. Migrants are at higher risk of experiencing homelessness and overcrowding is common, especially among families with children. People face prejudice and discrimination in the rental housing market. We provide support in finding housing in many languages, share information on housing and organize training for professionals and do advocacy work.
Katto helps you find accommodation and solve your housing problems in Finnish, English, Arabic, Ukrainian and Russian. You can reach us by phone, email and through various social media channels.
You can invite us to discuss housing in an integration training group, Finnish language course or peer group. The housing information takes about 1-1,5h.
You can also invite us to hold a pop-up advice point. We regularly visit educational institutions and low-threshold premises of organisations to help you fill in housing applications.
Bisher Sawan
Casework Coordinator
Housing advice
+358 (0)50 309 3925
bisher.sawan@moniheli.fi
Suomi, English, عربي (Arabia)
Anzhelika Butenko
Casework Coordinator
Housing advice
+358 (0)50 551 9428
anzhelika.butenko@moniheli.fi
English, Suomi, Українська, Русский
Päivi Al-Tameemi
Manager
+358 (0)50 309 3961
paivi.al-tameemi@moniheli.fi
Finnish, English
Material bank
Finding an apartment
Useful links
InfoFinland's webpage on housing (Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian, Estonian, French, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic, Persian)
The Consumers' Union of Finland's guide to renting in eight languages (Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic, French, Somali, Russian)
Finnish landlord association's rent and a good way to (Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic and Russian)
Where can I look for housing:
Municipal rental housing
In large cities, there are many applicants for municipal rental housing.
Housing is rented to those most in need of housing.
If you are in a hurry to get a new home, tell about your situation in your housing application and explain why you are in a hurry.
Remember to update the application!
Municipal rental housing is intended for the residents of the municipality.
For more information on municipal rental housing, visit the municipalities' own websites.
Housing for 17-29 year olds
- NAL / Alkuasunnot Oy
- Oranssi association (under 25 years of age)
- Nuorisosäätiö
Many cities also have a foundation that provides student housing. In Helsinki, student housing is rented by HOAS.
Other ARA rental apartments
On average, rents for ARA rental housing are slightly lower than for private rental housing. There are income limits for ARA apartments.
You can ask for ARA housing in the following places:
- Asuntosäätiö
- M2-kodit
- Lumo.fi (some of the apartments are ARA rental apartments)
- Keva-asunnot (some of the apartments are ARA rental apartments)
- Kunta-asunnot Oy / KAS-asunnot
- Setlementtiasunnot
Supported housing
If you need supported housing for a substance abuse or mental health problem, contact the homelessness services in your municipality.
Aspa foundation's rental housing for people with disabilities and people with mental health problems.
Private landlords, i.e. individuals or rental housing companies
You can call or email the landlord directly. Tell the landlord about yourself and your housing needs.
For a private landlord, it is important to find a reliable tenant who will take good care of the apartment.
Information on available private rental apartments can be found on the following platforms:
You can also search for rental properties on social media. On Facebook, for example, there are groups in different cities where people are looking to rent and find tenants.
Companies who rent apartments:
Help with finding a home:
Places to get free advice and guidance on housing.
Helsinki
- International House of Helsinki
Lintulahdenkuja 2 D, (2nd floor), 00530 Helsinki
ma-pe klo 9 -16
- Kalliolan Setlementin
Pasilan asukastalo
Asemapäällikönkatu 12 B, 00520 Helsinki
ma-pe klo 9-16
- Monik ry's helpdesk
Puhoksen ostoskeskus,
Kastelholmantie 2 A, 00930 Helsinki
ma-pe klo 10-16
In addition to Finnish, advice is available in Somali, Dari, Pashto, Arabic and French.
- Sininauhasäätiön Kota-asumisen tuki,araa aika!
- Vailla vakinaista asuntoa ry (homelessness-related issues - book an appointment!)
Ratamestarinkatu 6, 00520 Helsinki
Vantaa
- Vantaa Järjestörinki
Vantaa Järjestörinki association has many advice points for immigrants. The services of the counselling centres are intended for all immigrants, regardless of their municipality of residence. The service is offered in very many different languages.
- Kansalaistoiminnan keskus Leinikki (Hiekkaharju)
Leinikkitie 22, 01350 Vantaa
Espoo
- Filoksenia association
Kirkkojärventie 1, 02770 Espoo
- Information Point for Immigrants at Iso-Omena
Advice for young people (18-29-year-olds)
- Many cities have their own One-Stop Guidance Centers. Find contact details on their website.
- R3 Immigrant Youth Support Association
Vaskivuorentie 25, 2. floor, 01600 Vantaa
Advice for women (especially immigrants)
Advice on financial matters (e.g. rent debt)
- Municipal financial and debt advice
Find contact details for your local municipality's advisory service website.
- Takuusäätiö
Telephone helpline Monday to Friday 10am -2pm: tel. 0800 9 8009 (free of charge)
Tips for finding an apartment:
- In Finland, you don't need an agent to find an apartment! You can contact landlords directly.
- Contact multiple landlords and fill in multiple rental applications for many different landlords.
- Contact a landlord as soon as you see an apartment you are interested in. In large cities, rental properties are rented out quickly.
- Search for an apartment in multiple neighbourhoods in different cities.
- Fill in the additional information field! In your rental application, tell us about yourself and your situation.
- Who are you? Are you working or studying? Do you have a family? Do you have a pet?
- Did you smoke? Why are you looking for an apartment? Do you plan to live there for a long time?
- Ask a previous landlord for a reference and mention it in your rental application.
- Find a suitable apartment for yourself. Not too small, too big or too expensive!
- If you receive housing benefit from Kela, check the limits set by Kela on the amount of rent you can pay.
- Check whether you need to update your application every 3-4 months.
ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING
Katto program has been collecting data on homelessness and housing of migrants since 2016. We act as experts in different networks and organise trainings for professionals. We can tailor training to the needs of our partners, so contact us with a low threshold.
The Katto Manager is responsible for the advocacy work.
Information on homelessness among immigrants
Statistics on homelessness among immigrants
The Housing Financing and Development Agency (ARA) publishes annual statistics on homelessness. In the 2020 statistics , published in spring 2021, the number of immigrants who are homeless was lower than in the previous year. However, the proportion of immigrants among homeless people was relatively high. 22% of homeless people living alone and 60% of families were of immigrant origin.
These figures are not exact, as not all municipalities distinguish the background of homeless people in their statistics. According to the ARA guidelines: "'' Immigrant background includes all people who are homeless and living alone and who are not Finnish citizens or whose mother tongue is not Finnish or Swedish. Immigrants can be identified from the Population Register by their mother tongue and place of birth.”
Foreign-language speakers account for around 8% of Finland's population, so immigrants are clearly over-represented in homelessness statistics. ARA compiles homelessness statistics on the basis of data reported by municipalities. These figures do not include undocumented people.
Below is the data on the development of homelessness among immigrants 2001-2020 for single persons and families, collected by Katto program from ARA statistics. For comparison, the graph also includes data for all single persons and families experiencing homelessness.
Katto program's publications
Moving from the reception centre to the municipality and housing problems
Housing challenges of moving from a reception centre to a municipality from the perspective of organisations.
Authors: Vilkama, Veera, Moniheli ry; Myllylä, Anna-Leena, Sininauhasäätiö sr
Keywords: reception centre, place of residence, housing, housing, homelessness, integration
Moving from the reception centre to the municipality and housing problems (in Finnish, PDF)
Factors affecting tenant choice and the position of applicants with foreign background in the private rental market
Report on the results of the survey of landlords 1.11.2021
Authors: Vilkama, Veera, Moniheli ry; Myllylä, Anna-Leena, Sininauhasäätiö sr; ja Puurunen, Heini, VVA ry
Keywords: housing, housing for rent, private landlords, discrimination, equality, Roofing, Finland, homelessness prevention
Factors affecting tenant choice and the position of applicants with foreign background in the private rental market (in Finnish, PDF)
How will migrant homelessness be eradicated by 2027 in the metropolitan area?
Report to the Katto's community effort 3.6.2021
Authors: Vilkama, Veera
Keywords: homelessness of immigrants, Katto-program, Finland, homelessness prevention
Working to address the structural factors of immigrant homelessness in Finland: lessons learned from the Katto-project, 2019
Authors: Turk, Jana B. & Ghazi, Duin
Keywords: homelessness among immigrants, Finland, homelessness prevention, Katto-program, homelessness prevention
EOH – Raportti suomi.pdf 209 KB
EOH – Report in English.pdf 253 KB
Homelessness among immigrants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Study by Moniheli in cooperation with the PAAVO 2 programme of the Ministry of the Environment, 2014
Homelessness survey 2014.pdf 706 KB
