2023-05-032022/23:SoU16 · p.10SoUHealth & social services
Homelessness
National strategy against homelessness and the Housing First method
What's at stake: The decision affects how quickly and consistently the Housing First method - which provides permanent housing without requiring sobriety or treatment as a first step - spreads to more municipalities, and how well the scale and development of homelessness can be tracked. It primarily affects homeless adults and children, as well as the municipalities responsible for providing the ultimate safety net.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether parliament should call on the government to take further action to make the Housing First method a national norm and to track the development of homelessness through statistics, or whether the ongoing national homelessness strategy for 2022–2026 is sufficient and no new initiatives are needed.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motions, pointing out that the government has already adopted a national homelessness strategy for the period 2022–2026, under which the National Board of Health and Welfare is to carry out a national homelessness survey and distribute state grants to enable Housing First to be rolled out nationally and to support municipalities introducing the method. The committee also notes that the government has announced further funding for the Housing First grant, and on that basis considers that parliament should not take any further initiatives.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 17 (S, MP)
The reservation (S, MP) calls for the government to take action to make Housing First a national norm and roll out the method across the whole of Sweden, and to produce statistics on the development of homelessness. The reasoning is that current efforts are not considered sufficient to ensure consistent, nationwide use of the method or to track how homelessness develops.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 17 by S, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Abstain 1/0/19/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/94/0/13 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/14/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| C | Yes | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | Yes | Yes 16/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
Broke with the party line
| VNadja Awad (V, Örebro län) | Yes — party line: Abstain |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2022/23:762 by Katarina Luhr et al. (MP) motions 11 and 12, 2022/23:894 by Christofer Bergenblock et al. (C) motions 22 and 23, 2022/23:924 by Linda Lindberg et al. (SD) motions 34 and 35, 2022/23:927 by Linda Lindberg et al. (SD) motion 19, 2022/23:1215 by Nooshi Dadgostar et al. (V) motions 17, 18, 20 and 21, 2022/23:1302 by Åsa Eriksson et al. (S) and 2022/23:2163 by Yasmine Eriksson (SD).
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:762 av Katarina Luhr m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 11 och 12, 2022/23:894 av Christofer Bergenblock m.fl. (C) yrkandena 22 och 23, 2022/23:924 av Linda Lindberg m.fl. (SD) yrkandena 34 och 35, 2022/23:927 av Linda Lindberg m.fl. (SD) yrkande 19, 2022/23:1215 av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V) yrkandena 17, 18, 20 och 21, 2022/23:1302 av Åsa Eriksson m.fl. (S) och 2022/23:2163 av Yasmine Eriksson (SD).
Riksdag decision: Parliament said no to approximately 60 proposals about social services' work. The motions deal with, among other things, the Social Services Act, maintenance support and homelessness. The proposals have been submitted during the general motion period 2022. Parliament rejects the motions and refers, among other things, to the fact that investigative work is underway.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to initiate a new social services law with greater focus on preventive and knowledge-based interventions. (S, MP) — Reservation 17
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan states that the market cannot provide everyone with adequate housing and that society must take back responsibility for housing provision, and that the Social Services Act should be interpreted broadly with needs as the determining factor.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that the market cannot provide everyone with adequate housing and that society must take back responsibility for housing provision, and that the Social Services Act should be interpreted broadly with needs as the determining factor. It makes it a right to get help with a long-term secure housing solution for those who need it. Making Housing First a national standard and tracking homelessness statistically therefore aligns with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att marknaden inte kan förse alla med en god bostad och att samhället måste återta ansvaret för bostadsförsörjningen, samt att socialtjänstlagen ska tolkas extensivt med behoven som avgörande. Den gör det till en rättighet att få hjälp med en långsiktig trygg boendelösning för den som behöver det. Att göra Bostad först till nationell norm och följa hemlöshetens utveckling statistiskt ligger därför i linje med planen.
- society's responsibility for housingdecisive»Samhället måste återta initiativet och återupprätta det demokratiska inflytandet över och ansvaret för bostadsförsörjningen.« (party programme ↗)“Society must take back the initiative and reestablish democratic influence over and responsibility for housing provision.”
- broad interpretation of Social Services Act»Socialtjänstlagen ska tolkas extensivt.« (party programme ↗)“The Social Services Act should be interpreted broadly.”
- right to secure housing solution»Vänsterpartiet anser att det därutöver måste vara en rättighet att få hjälp med en långsiktig trygg boendelösning för den som behöver det för att lämna våldsutsatthet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party believes that furthermore it must be a right to get help with a long-term secure housing solution for those who need it to leave abuse.”
- state responsibility against housing shortage»Ett ökat statligt ansvar för att bygga bort bostadsbristen kommer också att göra det möjligt för många av de kvinnor som idag inte har något boendealternativ att lämna den bostad som hon delar med en förövare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increased state responsibility to build away the housing shortage will also make it possible for many women who today have no housing alternative to leave the home they share with an abuser.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme sees housing as a social right and makes housing provision a social responsibility, and the election manifesto wants to continue building rental apartments that ordinary people can afford and combat overcrowding.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme sees housing as a social right and makes housing provision a social responsibility, and the election manifesto wants to continue building rental apartments that ordinary people can afford and combat overcrowding. Making Housing First a national norm throughout the country and producing statistics on homelessness development is an application of precisely that rights principle. However, the method is not mentioned in the documents.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet ser bostaden som en social rättighet och gör bostadsförsörjningen till ett samhälleligt ansvar, och valmanifestet vill fortsätta bygga hyresrätter som vanligt folk har råd med och bekämpa trångboddheten. Att göra Bostad först till nationell norm i hela landet och ta fram statistik om hemlöshetens utveckling är en tillämpning av just rättighetsprincipen. Metoden nämns dock inte i dokumenten.
- housing as a social rightdecisive»socialdemokrater ser bostaden som en social rättighet och bostadspolitiken som en del av« (party programme ↗)“Social Democrats see housing as a social right and housing policy as part of”
- social responsibility for housing provision»Därför anser vi att det är ett samhälleligt ansvar att trygga« (party programme ↗)“Therefore we believe it is a social responsibility to secure”
- more affordable rental apartments»Vi ska fortsätta att bygga hyresrätter som vanligt folk har råd att bo i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall continue to build rental apartments that ordinary people can afford.”
- combat overcrowding»Trångboddheten ska bekämpas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Overcrowding shall be combated.”
The plan requires a national strategy that genuinely reduces homelessness and a housing foundation that finances housing for those who lack secure accommodation, which requires a housing-led approach such as Housing First throughout the country.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires a national strategy that genuinely reduces homelessness and a housing foundation that finances housing for those who lack secure accommodation, which requires a housing-led approach such as Housing First throughout the country. The plan also states that everyone has the right to housing regardless of socioeconomic status. Requirements for national standards and statistics on the development of homelessness therefore follow from the plan's own commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver en nationell strategi som på riktigt minskar hemlösheten och en bostadsstiftelse som finansierar bostad för dem som saknar tryggt boende, vilket förutsätter en bostadsledd metod som Bostad först i hela landet. Planen slår också fast att alla har rätt till en bostad oavsett socioekonomisk situation. Krav på nationell norm och statistik om hemlöshetens utveckling följer därför av planens egna åtaganden.
- national strategy against homelessnessdecisive»minska hemlösheten, genom en nationell strategi som på riktigt minskar hemlösheten och en bostadsstiftelse som finansierar en bostad för dem som inte har ett tryggt boende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“reduce homelessness through a national strategy that genuinely reduces homelessness and a housing foundation that finances housing for those who do not have secure accommodation.”
- the right to housing»Alla har rätt till en bostad.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has the right to housing.”
- housing regardless of socioeconomic status»det finns bostäder för alla oavsett socioekonomisk« (party programme ↗)“there is housing for all regardless of socioeconomic”
- housing policy against vulnerability»Miljöpartiets bostadspolitik ska motverka segregation och främja lika rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“The Greens' housing policy shall counteract segregation and promote equal rights.”
The plan shares the goal that no one should fall through the safety nets, but its principle is that rights can be met in different ways depending on where you live and what solutions exist locally, and that decisions should be made close to those affected.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan shares the goal that no one should fall through the safety nets, but its principle is that rights can be met in different ways depending on where you live and what solutions exist locally, and that decisions should be made close to those affected. Making a single method into a national norm across the country goes against that principle. Homelessness is not addressed in the plan, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen delar målet att ingen ska falla igenom skyddsnäten, men dess princip är att rättigheter kan tillgodoses på olika sätt beroende på var man bor och vilka lösningar som finns lokalt, och att besluten ska fattas nära dem som berörs. Att göra en enskild metod till nationell norm i hela landet går mot den principen. Hemlöshet behandlas inte i planen, så slutsatsen är härledd.
- locally adapted solutionsdecisive»kan tillgodoses på olika sätt beroende på var man bor och vilka möjligheter som finns lokalt« (party programme ↗)“can be met in different ways depending on where you live and what opportunities exist locally”
- decentralised decision-making»Decentralisera mera. Människor ska få bestämma mer själva, och politiska beslut ska fattas nära dem som berörs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decentralise more. People should have more say in decisions, and political decisions should be made close to those affected.”
- comprehensive basic security»Den grundläggande tryggheten måste vara så heltäckande att ingen tillåts falla igenom skyddsnäten« (party programme ↗)“Basic security must be so comprehensive that no one is allowed to fall through the safety nets”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that no one in a welfare society like Sweden should have to live in homelessness and that the state should take increased responsibility for financing housing for the homeless and housing-insecure with a clear focus on children.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that no one in a welfare society like Sweden should have to live in homelessness and that the state should take increased responsibility for financing housing for the homeless and housing-insecure with a clear focus on children. Making Housing First a national norm and developing statistics is a way to realize that state responsibility. The plan does not name the method, but it also requires needs-based housing for groups with particularly large housing needs.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att ingen i ett välfärdssamhälle som Sverige borde behöva leva i hemlöshet och att staten bör ta ett ökat ansvar för att finansiera bostäder för hem- och bostadslösa med tydligt fokus på barn. Att göra Bostad först nationell norm och ta fram statistik är ett sätt att förverkliga det statliga ansvaret. Planen namnger inte metoden, men den kräver också behovsbostäder för grupper med särskilt stora bostadsbehov.
- no one shall be homelessdecisive»I ett välfärdssamhälle som Sverige borde ingen behöva leva i hemlöshet.« (party programme ↗)“In a welfare society like Sweden, no one should have to live in homelessness.”
- state responsibility for housing»för att finansiera bostäder för hem- och bostadslösa med ett tydligt fokus på barn.« (party programme ↗)“to finance housing for the homeless and housing-insecure with a clear focus on children.”
- needs-based housing for vulnerable groups»Dagens dyra byggsubventioner ska avskaffas och ett nytt system med behovsbostäder ska införas för grupper med särskilt stora bostadsbehov, såsom våldsutsatta och familjer med mycket svag ekonomi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Today's expensive building subsidies shall be abolished and a new system with needs-based housing shall be introduced for groups with particularly large housing needs, such as victims of violence and families with very weak finances.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan's decisive commitment is that municipalities shall have the social responsibility for housing provision, and the subsidiarity principle places the burden of proof on those who want to take a task from the lower level.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's decisive commitment is that municipalities shall have the social responsibility for housing provision, and the subsidiarity principle places the burden of proof on those who want to take a task from the lower level. That the state makes a specific method a national standard for all municipalities contradicts this. The plan's solidarity principle and the public's ultimate responsibility for a safe and dignified life speak simultaneously for forceful measures against homelessness.
Original (Swedish)
Planens avgörande åtagande är att kommunerna ska ha det sociala ansvaret för bostadsförsörjningen, och subsidiaritetsprincipen lägger bevisbördan på den som vill ta en uppgift från den lägre nivån. Att staten gör en bestämd metod till nationell norm för alla kommuner strider mot detta. Planens solidaritetsprincip och det offentligas yttersta ansvar för ett tryggt och värdigt liv talar samtidigt för kraftfulla åtgärder mot hemlöshet.
- municipalities' responsibility for housingdecisive»Kommunerna ska ha det sociala ansvaret för att« (party programme ↗)“Municipalities shall have the social responsibility for”
- burden of proof in centralization»Denna princip innebär att bevisbördan vilar på dem« (party programme ↗)“This principle means that the burden of proof rests on those”
- the public's ultimate responsibility»offentliga är ytterst ansvarigt för att alla ska kunna leva« (party programme ↗)“public is ultimately responsible for everyone to be able to live”
- solidarity with the disadvantaged»Solidaritetsprincipen motiverar oss att ta gemensamt ansvar för alla människor,« (party programme ↗)“The solidarity principle motivates us to take joint responsibility for all people,”
The plan calls it a matter of decency that everyone has a roof over their head and commits to a zero vision for homelessness among pensioners with increased state financing of housing support, while the programme places a state responsibility for those who fall through.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan calls it a matter of decency that everyone has a roof over their head and commits to a zero vision for homelessness among pensioners with increased state financing of housing support, while the programme places a state responsibility for those who fall through. This suggests state measures and statistics on homelessness. However, for the state to make a particular method a national norm for municipalities contradicts the plan's principle that decisions should be made at the lowest possible level.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kallar det en anständighetsfråga att alla har tak över huvudet och åtar sig en nollvision för hemlöshet bland pensionärer med ökad statlig finansiering av boendestöd, medan programmet lägger ett statligt ansvar för den som faller igenom. Det talar för statliga åtgärder och statistik om hemlösheten. Att staten gör en särskild metod till nationell norm för kommunerna går dock emot planens princip att beslut ska fattas på lägsta möjliga nivå.
- state measures against homelessnessdecisive»Införa en nollvision för hemlöshet bland pensionärer och öka den statliga finansieringen av boendestöd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a zero vision for homelessness among pensioners and increase state funding for housing support”
- roof over everyone's head»Att alla har tak över huvudet är en anständighetsfråga i ett välfärdsland som Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That everyone has a roof over their head is a matter of decency in a welfare country like Sweden.”
- state responsibility for the vulnerable»har staten ett ansvar för att hjälpa den som faller igenom« (party programme ↗)“the state a responsibility to help those who fall through”
- decisions close to citizens»Beslut ska fattas på lägsta möjliga nivå, så nära medborgarna som möjligt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decisions should be made at the lowest possible level, as close to citizens as possible.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan states that homelessness has worsened over a long time and that combating homelessness is a prioritized social issue, in part because more and more elderly are forced to live their final years without housing.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that homelessness has worsened over a long time and that combating homelessness is a prioritized social issue, in part because more and more elderly are forced to live their final years without housing. Making a working method a national norm and producing statistics on homelessness development is in line with this. The plan at the same time emphasizes that support for the homeless has been used by incoming EU migrants, which is a reason to know who the support goes to.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att hemlösheten förvärrats under lång tid och att bekämpa hemlöshet är en prioriterad social fråga, bland annat eftersom allt fler äldre tvingas leva sina sista år utan bostad. Att göra en fungerande metod till nationell norm och ta fram statistik över hemlöshetens utveckling ligger i linje med detta. Planen betonar samtidigt att stödet till hemlösa tagits i anspråk av inresta EU-migranter, vilket är ett skäl att veta vem stödet går till.
- homelessness prioritizeddecisive»Att bekämpa hemlöshet är en prioriterad social fråga för Sverigedemokraterna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Combating homelessness is a prioritized social issue for Sweden Democrats.”
- growing homelessness»Problem med hemlöshet har förvärrats under lång tid.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Problems with homelessness have worsened over a long time.”
- dignity for homeless elderly»Allt fler äldre tvingas leva sina sista år i hemlöshet och det är inte värdigt ett välfärdssamhälle som Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More and more elderly are forced to live their final years in homelessness and it is not worthy of a welfare society like Sweden.”
- support should reach the right people»Situationen för hemlösa har ytterligare försvårats av att inresta EU-migranter tagit i anspråk stora delar av det stöd som ges till hemlösa av kommuner och ideella organisationer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The situation for the homeless has been further complicated by incoming EU migrants taking large parts of the support given to the homeless by municipalities and non-profit organizations.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:SoU16)
- Committee report full text (HA01SoU16)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1198 — Tillgång till internet i riksnormen för försörjningsstöd av Åsa Karlsson och Helén Pettersson (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1215 — Bostadspolitik, planering och byggande av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1302 — Den ökande hemlösheten av Åsa Eriksson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1400 — Stoppat stöd till dem som vistas olagligt i landet av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1406 — Reformer för ökad tillväxt i Stockholmsregionen av Josefin Malmqvist m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1408 — Reformering av socialtjänstlagen av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1410 — Skärpta insatser mot bidragsfusk av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1690 — Välfärdspengar av Eric Westroth (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1721 — Lättillgängligare stöd av Eva Lindh (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1927 — Utvärdering av den svenska missbrukspolitiken av Niels Paarup-Petersen och Alireza Akhondi (båda C)
- Motion 2022/23:1978 — Möjliggörande av mellantvång av Eva Lindh m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2017 — Tillgång till statistik inom socialtjänstens område av Paula Holmqvist m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2061 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2163 — Kommuners samverkan i arbetet för att motverka hemlöshet av Yasmine Eriksson (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:359 — För ett tryggare Malmö och Sverige av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2022/23:594 — Stöd och hjälp till barn som blivit utsatta i barndomen av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
- Motion 2022/23:65 — Samhällsnyttiga insatser som del av aktiveringen för försörjningsstödsmottagare av Oliver Rosengren (M)
- Motion 2022/23:66 — Utvidgad utbildningsplikt för arbetslösa med försörjningsstöd av Oliver Rosengren (M)
- Motion 2022/23:691 — Jämställt ekonomiskt bistånd av Azra Muranovic m.fl. (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament