Finland

Homeless Academy Association was established in 2006 as part of the Helsinki Deaconess Institute’s football project in association with Suojatiery (Crossing Society). They are supported by the Finnish Ministry of Education and the Finnish Football Association.

They are based in Helsinki and organise competitions, coaching, educational and recreational activities for different groups, and coordinate activities with other social agencies.

In a single-day survey in 2011, the homeless population of Finland was 7,572. Since the 1980s, there has been a 50% reduction in the number of homeless people across Finland. There have been particular decreases in the number of long-term homeless people as a result of the national homelessness strategy (FEANTSA, 2012).