STM Ministry of Social Affairs & Health Finland : Housing Allowance
Organization : Ministry of Social Affairs & Health
Type of Facility : Housing Allowance
Country: Finland
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Website : http://www.stm.fi/en/income_security/housing_allowance
Apply Here : http://www.kela.fi/web/en
Housing Allowance :
Households on small incomes can receive housing allowance. The MSAH is responsible for the general planning, guidance and oversight of legislation on housing assistance. The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for the housing support component in financial aid to students.
Related : STM Ministry of Social Affairs & Health Finland Financial Assistance For Families With Children : www.statusin.org/8259.html
The MSAH strategy for social and health policy and the Government Programme have the common aim of reforming the general housing allowance, in part by adjusting the income levels for eligibility, lowering the level of personal liability and by increasing the permitted maximum level of housing expenditure. The reforms will take effect from the beginning of 2015.
Support for housing expenses:
Housing assistance can be granted for various types of housing in which beneficiaries live on a permanent basis. Forms of assistance include general assistance, assistance for people on pensions, student housing assistance, and housing assistance for conscripts and those on alternative service.
Who is eligible?:
General housing assistance is allocated per household, meaning for those living in the same house or apartment. It is provided for
** families with children
** married couples
** common law partnerships,
** people living alone
** people living communally
A registered partnership is considered the equivalent of marriage. Unregistered partnerships between people of the same gender are not considered the equivalent of marriage.
General Housing Allowance:
Low-income households are eligible for general housing allowance from Kela to help with their housing costs. A household includes everyone sharing living quarters, and the housing allowance is granted to the household collectively.
The housing allowance is determined by reference to
** the number of adults and children in the household
** the municipality in which their home is located
** their monthly income before taxes
Housing allowance is usually granted for one year in advance.
If income or other circumstances change during that year, the housing allowance is reviewed. Please notify Kela of any changes.
Contact Address :
Ministry Of Social Affairs And Health
Meritullinkatu 8, 00170 Helsinki
PL 33, 00023 Valtioneuvosto
Vaihde 0295 16001
Email Address : kirjaamo AT stm.fi
FAQ :
Who can receive general housing allowance in Finland?
Housing allowance can be granted for a permanent residence located in Finland. The purpose of the general housing allowance is to reduce living costs for people on a low income. Currently it can be granted to families with children, married couples, cohabiting couples, people living on their own or people in shared accommodation.
How much housing allowance have students received until now?
The student housing supplement intended for paying rent has been a maximum of 201.60 euros per month. In 2015 a total of 267 million euros was paid out in student housing supplement. The housing supplement costs for students living in Finland were 247 million euros, while for students living abroad they were 20 million euros.
What does the maximum amount of housing costs mean?
When calculating the general housing allowance, the maximum amount defined for housing costs is taken into account. In practice this means that those receiving the allowance will have to pay for the housing costs that exceed this maximum amount.
The purpose of the housing allowance is only to support reasonable housing costs. The maximum amount of housing costs depends on which municipality the property is located in. The maximum housing costs vary by municipality category, and are exceeded by approximately 70 per cent of people receiving this benefit in all municipality categories.
The maximum amounts for the general housing allowance are linked to changes in the rent index of Statistics Finland. In rented housing the maximum housing costs are €362–508/month for single-person households, depending on the location of the property, €527–735/month for two-person households, €675–937/month for three-person households and €804–1,095/month for four-person households.
The maximum housing costs for the student housing supplement is 252 euros per month, and students have to pay any amounts exceeding this themselves. When students are covered by the general housing allowance, the same maximum amounts for housing costs will apply to them as to others who receive the housing allowance.
In order to make savings in the public finances, the maximum housing costs for the general housing allowance have not been increased in 2015 and 2016. They will also not be adjusted in 2017.