Aarhus opens new housing for young homeless people

10 individuals will get the chance to move into accommodation and receive intensive holistic support

On 1 September, the Danish Municipality of Aarhus will open new transitional housing for young homeless people in Havnegade. The accommodation will allow 10 individuals to experience the comfort of a home and the feeling of intensive support.

Expanding on this, each resident will receive holistic support from a specialised team as they will be assigned a contact person who will help them break old habits and cope with everyday life. What is more, they will push them to do their best and get closer to education or career opportunities.

Giving young people stability

It is important to highlight that this initiative does not only target young people without homes but also those who are struggling with mental illnesses, facing debt, or coping with abuse and trauma. Discussing the need for transitional housing, Social and Employment Councillor Kristian Würtz explained:

“In Aarhus, we have known for many years that a permanent home is a prerequisite for being able to work with the social challenges that often underlie young people’s homelessness. But for a small group of young people who have previously slept on the street or in the city hostels, the step from homelessness to their own home is particularly large and unmanageable.”

For this reason, the Municipality of Aarhus has established transitional housing in Havnegade, giving vulnerable young individuals access to the comfort, stability, and support they deserve.

A second initiative with a focus on employment

According to the municipal website, this housing is part of a larger social investment programme supported by the Social Investment Fund, Home for All, Aarhus Municipality, the Beehive Fund, and the Council for Social Investments in Aarhus.

As such, transitional housing is not the only initiative seeking to help young homeless individuals. That is, the programme also includes an employment-oriented effort for people who are homeless or on the brink of being so. With this effort, Aarhus offers young adults housing and affiliation with a company for three months.

During this time, the individual will receive intensive support in dealing with everyday life challenges as well as their career. These employment-oriented efforts will also begin in September, with Aarhus estimating that approximately 45 young people will benefit from the initiative over the next 3 years.