Homeless people to be counted again: Expect more than last time

A team of eight people is preparing the large-scale count of homeless people in Greenland, which is due to take place next month. The count will cover the country's 17 cities and provide an updated picture of homelessness in the country.

Steven Arnfjord, head of the Center for Arctic Welfare under Ilisimatusarfik, which is responsible for the count, expects the number of homeless people to have increased since the last registration.

- The expectation is that we will find more, he says.

He explains that although a homeless strategy was made in 2023, not enough economic initiatives have been followed, and there is a lack of legislation on hostels and experimental housing.

- There is no real political work at the national level on preventing homelessness. The biggest thing that has happened is legislation on the job search benefit, which has given people more money, but it has not helped them with housing, says Arnfjord.

Experiences from the first count

The first homeless count was a pilot count, and the researchers estimate that they are now better at registering both visible and hidden homeless people.

- Combined with the fact that we have become better at counting, and there is no overall political effort, I think we will find more, he says.

Hidden homelessness in Nuuk is an area that is expected to contribute to the higher number. Arnfjord estimates that in Nuuk alone there may be 200-300 people who are temporarily living with friends and family, in overcrowded housing or drifting around.

The Ministry supports – the Folketing finances

The team, which consists of researchers, research assistants and student assistants, must physically visit all cities. Cooperation with the Ministry is crucial to carrying out the census.

- Our primary cooperation is with the Ministry. They are the ones who support us in doing the census, so it is in cooperation with them. And naalakkersuisoq, who signs that they want this census. Otherwise it cannot be done.

This time the census is financed by the Folketing with approximately 1 million kroner, where the last one in 2022 was paid by the Ministry of Housing.

- So it has not (funding ed.) come from Greenland itself, or what should I say, it has not come from our government or our naalakkersuisoq for the area, he says.

The report is expected in the autumn

The census is being carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs. The researchers collect information on age, gender, how long people have been homeless and use registrations of the homeless. They visit hostels, hot rooms and other places where people stay, also at night.

- We are also out at night in the larger cities, where we know there are heated hallways and heated places to sleep, he says.

Young people and women are harder to count than older men, as they often avoid hostels and hot rooms.

- They usually say that it is difficult to count young people and women. They do everything they can to avoid looking homeless. They do not come to hostels or hot rooms in the same way as slightly older men do. It is mostly the men who are visible, says Arnfjord.

He emphasizes that homelessness is growing if you do not keep an eye on the problem.

- I find that worrying, because homelessness is something that grows if you do not keep an eye on it and take care to prevent it, says Steven Arnfjord.

He hopes that the upcoming report will create political action.

- My hope with the census is that we provide insights that politicians can act on, he says.