The County Administrative Board in Stockholm has followed the migration pattern for so-called municipal recipients according to the Settlement Act 2017. It turned out that just over a quarter had left their designated municipality after 18 months and the majority of them, 84 percent, had also left Stockholm County.

May affect integration

The relocation goes against the point of the Housing Act and can make integration more difficult and newcomers' ability to find jobs, the county administrative board warns.

- Time-limited contracts not only have consequences for the feeling of belonging and security. Combined with long residential queues and an exposed secondary market, they lead to many new arrivals not being able to stay, in the county and perhaps forced to apply to other municipalities where the conditions for establishment are not as good, says Annelie Rostedt, development manager at the county administrative board.

Short-term housing usually

There are major differences between municipalities' housing solutions for new arrivals, and the County Administrative Board sees a clear connection between short contracts and high floating rates. In the county, only three out of 26 municipalities offer fully or partially permanent housing. In the whole country it is about 72 percent.

The Settlement Act was introduced in 2016 and means that most municipalities will receive a certain number of people who have been granted a residence permit. However, the law does not specify how long a municipality will provide housing. For example, Lidingö offers a two-year contract with few exceptions, while the municipality of Botkyrka offers permanent housing solutions for families with children after a trial period.