In Norway, homelessness has been halved since 2012. One major explanation for this reduction is a sustained, coordinated, and integrated strategy, involving the development of housing and support services and the building-up of expertise. Efforts have focused on disadvantaged groups in the housing market in general, and specifically on families with children and those who suffer from substance abuse and mental health problems.

The reduction in the number of homeless people is a result of national cooperation and a long-term integrated strategy for housing and support services. Responsibility for the Norwegian housing policy is split between the state, municipalities, and the private sector. The Norwegian state sets goals and provides a framework through laws, regulations, and financial tools such as loans and grants distributed through the Housing Bank. The public health and welfare services are responsible for homeless people.

Municipalities should help disadvantaged groups in the housing market to access and maintain their own homes and are responsible for finding temporary accommodation for homeless people. This is also done in cooperation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In addition, municipalities are responsible for housing planning, renovating homes, and providing necessary infrastructures for housing development while the private sector (companies, organisations, and individuals) is responsible for building the houses.

The goal of the national strategy “Everyone needs a safe home” (2021–2024) is to help more disadvantaged people obtain a secure and adequate home. One of the subsidiary goals is to eliminate homelessness, and various actions have been taken to help achieve these goals. Within the long-term strategic work that has been done, there has been a growing emphasis on cooperation across different areas of welfare provision and management levels from ministries to municipalities, and the approach has always been housing-led.

Research and evaluations show a link between the long-term approach implemented through the national strategies and a reduction in the number of homeless people. A factor considered important in Norway’s efforts to reduce homelessness is that the national strategies do not set out any particular methodology that municipalities should follow in their work on housing homeless people.

Municipalities generally follow the principles of “Housing First”, but with significant local adaptations. These adaptations are necessary considering the high number of municipalities in Norway (356), many of which are small and have relatively few homeless people.

In Norway, national government is an important source of financing for Housing First programmes, alongside regional authorities. Norway has a national network of Housing First Programmes established in 2013 by the Norwegian Resource Centre for Community Mental Health (NAPHA), and bringing together the 21 Housing First programmes all run by local municipalities.  Despite that, there is evidence of barriers to the implementation of the Housing First model in a systematic way across the country.