Community-Level Relationships Between Homelessness and Crime in Finland

Abstract

Evidence from several countries indicates that homeless persons, particularly those with a mental illness, are at increased risk of offending and victimization. However, there has been little community-level analysis of the relationship between homelessness and crime rates. In this study, we discuss the criminogenic consequences of homelessness and then use panel data from 261 municipalities over a 21-year period (2000–2020) in Finland to examine how homelessness is related to different types of criminal offenses. Results from random and fixed-effects equations indicate that, net of common covariates, rates of homelessness are associated with increased rates of violent crime, property crime, and public intoxication offenses. The findings suggest that, in addition to mental health treatment, efforts to reduce homelessness enhance community safety.