Services for homeless residents of Hafnarfjörður enhanced

Cooperation with the city on matters concerning the homeless

The Municipality of Hafnarfjörður and the City of Reykjavík have signed a cooperation agreement on services for residents of Hafnarfjörður who are homeless or living in precarious conditions.

The aim of the collaboration is to ensure that individuals with their registered address in Hafnarfjörður receive increased and more continuous support. The agreement ensures that services are provided, among others, to those who use the City of Reykjavík's emergency shelter or are living in precarious circumstances.

• The Municipality of Hafnarfjörður will have a dedicated contact within the City of Reykjavík's Fieldwork and Advisory Team, the VoR team.
• The contact person will work with the individuals on the ground and connect them with appropriate services provided by the City of Hafnarfjörður.
• He will also work with the town's support team, which provides services to people with long-term experience of homelessness who have now been housed.

The agreement ensures that the City of Hafnarfjörður gains increased access to the knowledge and experience that has been built up within the VoR team of the City of Reykjavík in its provision of services to people with significant and complex support needs.

What is the VoR team? The VoR team works from a holistic and individualised approach. The emphasis is on harm reduction, recovery, and supporting people towards self-help, activity, and participation in society on their own terms.

„The agreement helps us at Hafnarfjörður Municipality to address the issues of this vulnerable group more effectively and channel them appropriately within the municipality,“ says Árni Rúnar Þorvaldsson, chairman of the Family Council of Hafnarfjörður Municipality.

„We believe that cooperation in this field is always a good thing, and that is why the signing of this agreement is very pleasing.“

The preparations date back to the previous term, when Margrét Vala Marteinsdóttir, the current deputy chair, served as chair.

The agreement is valid for one year from the employee's start date. During the term of the agreement, the scope and nature of the service will be specifically monitored and the success of the collaboration will be evaluated.

Photo caption; Front row: Rannveig Einarsdóttir, Director of the Social Services Department of Reykjavík City, Ragnhildur Alda María Vilhjálmsdóttir, Chair of the Social Welfare Council of Reykjavík City, Árni Rúnar Þorvaldsson, Chair of the Family Council of Hafnarfjörður Municipality, Guðlaug Ósk Gísladóttir, Director of the Directorate of Family and Child Affairs, signed the agreement. Back row: Skúli Helgason, Þorvaldur Davíð Kristjánsson, Ásta Þ. Skjalddal Guðjónsdóttir, Róbert Ragnarsson and Magnea Gná Jóhannsdóttir.