The association aims to provide asylum seekers and Ukrainians benefitting from temporary protection with the option of living in private homes instead of a reception centre. This is understood to better promote their two-way integration in society at large and the local community.

The home accommodation process is built around volunteering, reciprocity, trust, and the right to privacy. The association works by providing guidance and support to both accommodation providers and those being accommodated, with importance placed on practical information about co-living, safety of all parties, rights in Finland and the workings of the asylum system.

Support is given in the form of:

• training seminars
• counselling
• communication
• the recently updated Home Accommodation Guide

Establishing contact and developing sustained relationships with authorities and other NGOs is another key element of the association's approach, in order to ensure that its coordinators have the correct information about bureaucratic processes and are up to date with any changes. It is very important that those being accommodated are given information that is completely accurate.

In 2022 the number of homes offering accommodation increased hugely due to the war in Ukraine, which sparked a great will to help among Finnish people. That year the number of participants across all activities was 2 600, including accommodation providers, those being accommodated, volunteers, partner organisations and cooperating authorities. Home accommodation continues to be preferred choice of housing for many asylum seekers and Ukrainians although the offer and demand of home accommodation stabilised at much lower levels after the peak of 2022.

A survey of home accommodation providers (Majoittajakysely 2023), conducted by the support association, found that those offering their homes had 'good' and 'diverse' experiences of providing accommodation to people displaced from Ukraine.

The association is in regular contact with the Finnish Immigration Service authorities and exchanges information with them, further disseminating this information to the public and all those involved in the home accommodation process. 

The Home Accommodation Support Association made a survey for home accommodation providers in 2023, called Majoittajakysely 2023. As the association supports the home accommodation, it is important for them to know how people become accommodation providers, how and in what needs they give support to the migrants living with them and what possible issues and support needs there might be. A similar survey will be made for those living in home accommodation.

The main findings of the evaluation include:

• majority of respondents (29/53) had found people staying with them through the Home Accommodation Network or Support Association and 13 through some other entity that supports Ukrainians
• providing home accommodation does not limit to offering housing, as most respondents (48/53) had supported people staying at their home on issues not related to accommodation like dealing with authorities and job seeking
• the most common motivation for providing home accommodation was mentioned to be willingness to help.
• most respondents found the experience rewarding and among the positive experiences were mentioned e.g. getting to know new people, languages and cultures and mutual learning
• some felt that offering accommodation was also demanding and among the mentioned issues were the feeling of war coming close, lack of space, bureaucracy and lack of recognition and compensation by pubic authorities

The main beneficiaries of this initiative are asylum seekers and people receiving temporary protection, who are given the option to live in a private home instead of a reception centre. Home accommodation providers also benefit in that they can experience meaningful exchange and connection with those they accommodate. At the societal level the initiative furthers the two-way integration process by promoting diversity and equality and reducing discriminatory attitudes.

The Home Accommodation Support Association receives funding from the Funding Centre for Social and Welfare Organisations, or Sosiaali- ja terveysjärjestöjen avustuskeskus (STEA).