In Boligkontoret Danmark we have a professional team of social workers who seek out and contact the residents who fall behind with the rent when they receive a termination notice. We offer financial advice to the residents and try to help them get their rent paid. All residents who receive a termination notice will be contacted either via SMS, phone, email or letter to clarify whether the resident needs help to deal with the rent arrears.

The residents who do not already have a solution themselves when the advisors contact them, are offered economic and social advice by telephone or by mail and follow-up as needed. The counseling can also consist of establishing contact with networks, municipalities, banks, entering into repayment arrangements, etc.

If the counselors ascertain that this effort is not sufficient to prevent the resident from being put out of their home or that new arrears arise, then the tenant is offered a more personal counseling process.

A personal counseling process consists of the tenant being offered more extensive financial advice or physical meetings in order to get help to get an overview of the resident's finances, and to find a solution to their housing situation.

The goal is both to assist the vulnerable residents, so that the resident can stay in his or her home, as a home is absolutely crucial to any life situation. In addition, evictions are very expensive for both the housing organization and the housing department. Therefore, efforts are also made to prevent the financial loss for both the housing organizations and housing departments.

An eviction cost in average approx. DKK 45-50,000, which is why it pays to prevent evictions. From 2016-2018, the number of evictions has fallen from 97 to 80 cases.

In 2016, we sent out 603 termination notices, but put only 97 residents on the street (50% moved voluntarily) = 16%.

In 2017, we sent out 731 termination notices, but put only 92 residents on the street (50% moved voluntarily) = 12.5%.

In 2018 we sent out 673 termination notices and put 80 people on the street (50% moved voluntarily) = 11%.

Each eviction costs an average of DKK 45-50,000, corresponding to approx. 6.000 Euros. In Denmark, the social housing sector is run by an economic non-profit principal. This means that if a resident is put out of a home and leaves debt, it is the other residents of the housing department and the housing association who have to pay this expense via the collective budget.

Can the effort pay off? (2018):

2 employees (100%) + 1 leader salary (25%) = DKK 952.723 (126.188 Euro)

The housing associations pay:

DKK 41 kr.* 23.254 (The number of dwellings under the scheme = DKK 953.414 (126.280 Euro)

Total savings: 593 prevented evictions of DKK 45,000 = 26,685,000 (approx. 3.5 million Euro).