Homeless Helena Öman in Luleå has been severely affected by being erased from the population register, losing access to municipal support. Social committee chair Bodil Wennerbrandt Sevastik responds to SVT's investigation, acknowledging issues with the system. She pledges to review the matter if more people are impacted.
Earlier this week, SVT Nyheter reported on Helena Öman, a homeless woman in Luleå who has vanished from the population register. As a result, she can no longer access the support typically provided by the municipality, including assistance at the meeting place Lyktan.
Bodil Wennerbrandt Sevastik, chair of Luleå's social committee (S), addresses the investigation and highlights the risk of people falling through the cracks. "It is not good that they disappear from the population register system. This is something that must be reviewed," she says. She specifically notes that it can prevent individuals from picking up medication.
At Lyktan, a municipal initiative for residents of Luleå, homeless people can receive help and support—but the registration requirement has created barriers for Öman, forcing her to sleep outdoors. Wennerbrandt Sevastik explains that the social services conduct outreach to identify and assist disappeared and homeless individuals. "Lyktan is an initiative we have made for those living in Luleå. If you are not registered in the municipality, you have the opportunity to come there, make contact, and then we look at how we can help them individually," she says.
When asked about two individuals who claim they have not received adequate help from social services and were denied entry to Lyktan, the chair responds: "I cannot comment on any individual case." Wennerbrandt Sevastik stresses that if the issue escalates, it will be addressed. "If it becomes an increasing problem, we must review it."
The investigation underscores how population registration affects access to basic services in Luleå municipality.