New regulations for sheltered housing introduced in 2024 are causing widespread closures and controversy across Sweden. According to multiple reports, 37 sheltered housing facilities for women have been forced to close since the legislative change two years ago. The rules, which impose stricter requirements on staffing, facilities, and management, have been defended by the government as necessary to ensure quality, but critics argue they are dismantling a low-threshold support system.
One affected shelter is a women's shelter in the Stockholm area that has been operating for over 25 years, according to major media reports. The shelter received a rejection from IVO (the Health and Social Care Inspectorate) due to the manager lacking sufficient university credits, reliance on volunteers, and having only one bathroom with a shower for a maximum of two adults and four children, as reported by major media. The shelter has appealed the decision to the Administrative Court of Appeal, according to the same sources. According to TV4 Nyheterna, Lovisa, the chairperson of the local women's shelter, described the situation as deeply saddening, noting that they must empty the shelter and terminate the contract, leaving them unable to help women who need protection.
We thought it was good to get rid of unscrupulous actors who just want to make money.
Preliminary figures from IVO, as reported by major media, show that among approximately 76 approved facilities, 33 are non-profit and 43 are private. This data highlights the shift toward private providers under the new regulations, though the total number of facilities before the change remains unclear. The figures do not directly indicate closures but reflect the current landscape of approved shelters.
The National Organization for Women's and Girl's Shelters in Sweden (Roks) argues that the new requirements risk making it harder for abused women to seek help, according to major media reports. According to TV4 Nyheterna, Adine Samadi, chairperson of Roks, described women's shelters as a low-threshold service where the severity of violence does not matter and women can assess their own need for protection without fulfilling a checklist. She also described the development as the fastest dismantling of protection and support for abused women and children in Swedish history, according to the same source.
It feels very sad to have to empty the shelter and terminate the contract. Then we can no longer help women who need protection.
Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall defends the uniform requirements. According to major media reports, she says the same requirements must apply to all sheltered housing, regardless of whether they are run non-profit or privately. She also told TV4 Nyheterna that if there are reasons to adjust the legislation after an ongoing investigation, the government is not averse to it.
The government refers to an ongoing investigation by the Swedish Agency for Public Management (Statskontoret), according to major media reports. The investigation will be partially reported on May 29, 2026, and finalised in December 2027, as reported by major media. This long timeline has drawn criticism from advocates who say the closures are happening now and cannot wait years for a review.
Women's shelters are a low-threshold service where it doesn't matter how much violence you have been subjected to. You don't need to fulfill a checklist but can assess for yourself that you need protection.
According to a report from Unizon, as reported by major media, the development is going in the wrong direction, with more shelter operations forced to stop offering sheltered housing. This aligns with the broader trend of closures reported by multiple sources. The exact number of shelters that have closed nationwide remains uncertain, as different reports cite varying figures depending on the period and definition of closure. Additionally, it is unclear how many appeals have been filed against IVO decisions or what specific university credits are required for shelter managers. The government has not indicated whether it will adjust the legislation before the Statskontoret report is finalized in 2027.
In another example, a women's shelter in Örnsköldsvik has faced challenges under the new rules. According to Tidningen Ångermanland/Allehanda, Vanja Östman, chairperson of the shelter, described the costs as enormously high. This illustrates the financial strain on smaller, volunteer-run shelters that struggle to meet the new requirements.
We see the consequences in real time. This is the fastest dismantling of protection and support for abused women and children in Swedish history.
The controversy underscores a tension between quality assurance and accessibility. While the government aims to eliminate unscrupulous actors, as Lovisa noted to TV4 Nyheterna, the unintended consequences may be reducing the availability of shelter spaces for women fleeing violence. The coming years will reveal whether the Statskontoret investigation leads to legislative adjustments or if the trend of closures continues.
It is enormously costly.