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ASKE – Research project

Pathways to homelessness in the Turku region – from transitions to social, health, economic and technological sustainability

Welcome to the website of the research project Homelessness pathways in the Turku region – from transitions to social, health, economic and technological sustainability (ASKE). ASKE is a collaborative research project between the Department of Social Research in University of Turku, the Turku School of Economics and the Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. It is funded by the Turku Urban Research Programme during 2024-2025. Using the tabs on the top right you can read more about the project.

ASKE in a nutshell

ASKE examines the prevention, mechanisms and consequences of homelessness from a multidisciplinary perspective. The topic is particularly relevant following the transfer of responsibility for organising social and health services from municipalities to wellbeing services counties at the beginning of 2023. Municipalities remain responsible for preventive services, such as housing counselling, and local housing policies, of which the supply of affordable rental housing is important in addressing homelessness. In times of transition, it is important to maintain and improve the links between the different actors.

The core of the project is analysis of a novel longitudinal dataset which combines national and local registers. The data allows a retrospective, long-term analysis of the housing, service and benefit pathways of homeless people. The expected results will show the length, recurrence and overlaps in service use of the homelessness, linked to transitions in housing and life circumstances, and to broader structural societal changes. These form homelessness and service pathways, the identification of which is essential for the development of the welfare services.

The analysis of the register data will form the basis of the project, and the key findings will be deepened and extended by the other sub-studies of the project. Municipal economic analysis is used to identify the economic impact of different service pathways related to homelessness. Literature reviews and interviews with local actors will be used to identify dimensions related to homeless people’s health, digitalisation of services, and service system transformations. These analyses will improve the understanding of potential gaps in the service system and help to develop the service system accordingly.