– It is tiresome. It takes a toll on the psyche and the physical, says Marius Rønning. He struggles with drug addiction and has no permanent place to live in Trondheim. When he doesn’t have a place to sleep the next night, he has to turn to Nav. They are obliged to provide suitable accommodation. Yet they often have nothing to offer him, because everywhere is full. – They should have housing ready for those who need it, emergency housing in Trondheim, but they don’t have that, says Rønning. As a result, he has several times had to sleep in the forest, on acquaintances’ sofas, in car parks or lifts. If the watchmen discover him during the night, he is awakened and sent away. Rønning says that he is not alone in living this way. – There are quite a few – there are probably more than people think. Rønning has spent several nights in this corner of a parking garage in Trondheim. He says the temperature here is quite good in winter. Now the corner is blocked off, so he can no longer sleep there. Photo: Stein Roar Leite / news A problem throughout the country In November 2020, 3,325 homeless people were registered in Norway, according to a report from the Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR). A quarter of these also struggled with substance abuse or mental disorders. Frode Woldslund says that poor housing options for people in this group are a problem across the country. He is business manager for substance abuse care in the Salvation Army. – Our experience is that there are often no organized offers for the group in the municipalities. There are many drug users who do not have decent housing, he says. Frode Woldslund is business manager for substance abuse treatment in the Salvation Army nationally. Photo: Arnstein Lindstad The users the Salvation Army is in contact with are often placed in miserable conditions, according to Woldslund. – There can be campsites and there can be temporary residences that do not have a particularly high standard, and which I think none of us would think we could live in. – I think it is sad and strange that it is still like this, because this could have been sorted out relatively quickly if there was the political will to initiate the necessary measures. The municipality breaks the law In April 2020, Trondheim municipality closed the only emergency accommodation facility for homeless men. The spaces were converted into temporary housing, and the number of beds was at the same time halved from twelve to six. The state administrator in Trøndelag has uncovered a number of violations of the law in the way Trondheim municipality meets homeless people with drug problems. In several cases, people seeking temporary housing have instead received financial benefits, because Nav has had no suitable place to offer. Some of these have not been able to spend the money on accommodation, or have been expelled from hotels and other accommodation, the report shows. The state administrator believes it is the municipality’s fault that this has happened. “In our opinion, it is the lack of suitable municipal housing that has put the Nav offices in a position where they have repeatedly and over a long period of time not had the opportunity to fulfill their duty to provide adequate temporary housing to everyone who is entitled on the service.” they write in the report. Hanne Reitan Øksnes says the findings of the inspection are serious. She is deputy director in the upbringing and welfare department at the State Administrator in Trøndelag. Photo: Bjorn Erik Ovrelid / State Administrator in Trøndelag – Very serious The State Administrator believes that the municipality’s practice has led to a violation of very basic rights for people in a very vulnerable life situation. – We see it as very serious that the municipality does not have adequate and sound temporary housing for a group of people who are already in a particularly vulnerable life situation, says Hanne Reitan Øksnes to news. She is deputy director in the upbringing and welfare department at the State Administrator in Trøndelag. – There is no doubt that this worsens the life situation of those concerned, and that it makes follow-up and treatment from the support system difficult, says Øksnes. – We cannot rule out that the municipality’s inadequate provision and continuous violations of the law have created situations with serious danger to life and health for individuals. They also criticize the municipality for insufficient internal control of its own systems. Already in 2017, the State Administrator carried out an inspection which uncovered offenses in the same service, particularly for homeless women with substance abuse problems. Before the summer of 2023, the municipality opened six places for this group. – The municipality’s work to correct the offenses has dragged on, despite close follow-up from the State Administrator. We have expressed repeated concerns about that, says Øksnes. Recognizing the criticism Trondheim municipality has received the report from the State Administrator, and says the matter has the highest priority for them. “Unfortunately, we are very familiar with that, and it is a very regrettable situation to be in. We have worked very hard and are still working hard to find a good offer for this group,” says Viviann Sandberg Larsen. She is acting municipal manager for mental health and substance abuse in Trondheim municipality, and thinks it is sad to hear about Rønning, who often has to sleep outside. Acting municipal manager for mental health and substance abuse, Viviann Sandberg Larsen. Photo: Elina Rydland Ørnhaug / news – It is not a situation that we want any of the inhabitants of Trondheim municipality to be in at all. That is also the reason why we are now working very hard to find a suitable offer. She says that the group that needs help from the municipality has changed in recent years, and that it is difficult to handle. Several users are said to have been expelled from various housing options, because they break the rules on site. – We have received several people who have problems with violence, and the municipality does not have much room for action there. We must provide them with services and a proper housing offer, but then we must also ensure the safety of employees, the other residents who live there, neighbors and the neighbourhood. The municipality is working to increase capacity to up to ten to twelve places in total. The state administrator has given them a deadline to rectify the offenses by 15 October this year. – We feel that the municipality has taken our findings seriously, and have faith that the municipality will now rectify the offences, says Øksnes in the State Administrator. Marius Rønning hopes the politicians will be able to do something to change the situation he and several others in Trondheim are in. Photo: Elina Rydland Ørnhaug / news – Need more housing Woldslund in the Salvation Army believes the solution to the situation across the country is to get more housing in place, with closer follow-up of users. – We must have more housing that has different degrees of follow-up, everything from manned round-the-clock housing to individual housing units with supervision. It is clear that this costs money, but I think it is economically sound and profitable, he says. For Marius Rønning, it would mean a lot. He finds it absolutely incredible that the municipality does not have more accommodation to offer. – I hope they manage to do something about the situation. It should be a higher priority than much else, he says. – How do you see the future, the way things are now? – Right now I think it looks quite dark, really. But I haven’t given up, I haven’t. I just have to keep going, says Rønning.
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Drug addicts end up on the streets – Trondheim municipality has broken the law – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
