Welfare and security in a city for everyone

1. Independent senior citizens

Building diverse and affordable options for senior citizens with the Reykjavík Construction Company

The healthcare system and nursing homes are buckling under the pressure of a rapidly aging population. Decades of accumulated infrastructure debt have been created due to the short-sightedness of politicians. It is essential to ensure that senior citizens can live as long as possible and with dignity in independent housing with the support of the state and municipalities. We will build diverse options for senior citizens through the Reykjavík Construction Company; more affordable small apartments, service hubs, and nursing homes. We will also allocate building plots for other such non-profit projects to meet the diverse housing needs of senior citizens.

Strengthening home care and essential healthcare – for a more secure retirement with dignity

The City of Reykjavík must ensure that home care is both well-funded and well-staffed, and that robust quality control accompanies the service. Just as in nursing homes, the safety and dignity of senior citizens must be guaranteed, as elder abuse is common in many parts of the system, which is unacceptable. In nursing homes, essential healthcare such as dental, hearing, and vision services must be provided on-site to an increasing extent, along with more diverse access to various other services and recreation. We want to increase information sharing and education for senior citizens regarding their rights, available services, and assistance in accessing them to ensure accessibility.

2. Teaching the language and empowering immigrants

Education for immigrants and locals

In the City of Reykjavík, the reception of immigrants should include systematic and targeted education on Icelandic society, culture, rules, and laws at no cost to them. Such education strengthens their sense of being accepted into society. It takes two to tango, and it is therefore no less necessary to provide education to locals about the challenges that accompany multiculturalism. Increased mutual understanding and respect reduce fear, prejudice, and discrimination, and constitute a long-term investment.

Wide-open doors to the Icelandic language

The Socialist Party emphasizes the importance of throwing open the doors to the Icelandic language community for immigrants: That the City of Reykjavík become a national leader in emphasizing the importance of Icelandic language instruction and the use of Icelandic in workplace communication; that the City of Reykjavík, as an employer, offer all its employees whose first language is not Icelandic, Icelandic language instruction during working hours. Knowledge and proficiency in Icelandic is also one of the most powerful tools to eliminate the precarious division into “us” and “them”. Increased knowledge and proficiency in the language opens doors for immigrants and boosts their competitiveness in schools and the labor market. Increased proficiency in Icelandic empowers immigrants to protect their status and rights.

Independent reporting channels and anonymous job applications

An independent reporting channel must be established, not managed by supervisors at the relevant workplace, where city employees can report violations and submit complaints without fear of consequences. Reports will be accepted in multiple languages. According to a recent audit, it was revealed that nearly a quarter of the City of Reykjavík's staff have experienced racial or cultural prejudice in the workplace and do not know how to report it. These are striking results. Reykjavík as an employer can further ensure that every single employee working directly for the city or under contract with the city has enforceable labor rights – accessible in their mother tongue. To curb unconscious bias and slant in job applications, the City of Reykjavík shall implement anonymity in hiring processes. What matters is work experience and education, not preconceived notions based on a foreign name.

3. Services for disabled people – a city for everyone

Society is composed of a diverse group of people, including people with disabilities. It often seems that this group is forgotten when infrastructure, such as transport, is being planned. Not all people with disabilities are able to travel independently, so it is important that public transport takes the needs of this group into account. The paratransit service was established for this purpose but has unfortunately not delivered the intended results. Many complain that the service is inefficient, that it is difficult to get a vehicle without long notice, that transport is unavailable at certain times of the day, etc. This does not make it easier for people with disabilities to participate in society on an equal footing with others. Care must also be taken in specialized workplaces to ensure that people there are given appropriate tasks in a proportion that suits each individual. Furthermore, people with disabilities will be offered diverse housing options from the Reykjavík Construction Company; more affordable apartments and service hubs.

4. Eliminating homelessness, proactive oversight of foster homes, and safer halfway houses

Let's follow the Finnish way and guarantee housing for the homeless

Iceland is a wealthy country on a global scale, and it is therefore a disgrace that there is a large group of individuals here who are homeless, with many individuals using the city's emergency shelters annually. Finland has been a leader in the approach that permanent housing without conditions is the necessary first step for people in this situation. We want to greatly increase the supply of solutions such as tiny houses to meet the needs of this group. Real actions will improve the lives of this group and save both the state and the city significant funds.

Fixing the emergency shelters

The facilities of the emergency shelters must be acceptable, with decent showers and sleeping arrangements, and opening hours must take into account the needs of users and conditions such as the weather, which can prove life-threatening for this group. Furthermore, it is important that no one falls through the cracks – emergency shelters must accept everyone regardless of which municipality they belong to. Although this is officially the rule, incidents have occurred where individuals are denied access because they fall into a gap in the system.

Establishing a framework and clear oversight for halfway houses, foster homes, and child protection

Every year, horrific incidents occur in halfway houses intended to serve individuals after addiction treatment. Reykjavík is responsible for the halfway houses they contract with, but in practice, there is little oversight and often no professionals working in them. The consequence of this outsourcing of operations and responsibility to independent halfway houses has proven disastrous. The city has a legal responsibility to step in and take over the operation and oversight of halfway houses with professional services where addiction counselors are present. The same applies to foster homes and child protection, as terrible discoveries have demonstrated the need for clearer procedures and better oversight of those receiving children into foster care and how child protection is organized. Proactive oversight is an approach that is missing; the City of Reykjavík should not wait for disasters or complaints but should conduct active and ongoing oversight on its own initiative.

5. Strengthening the city's social services with vibrant community centers and swimming pools

Reversing austerity cuts to community centers

Austerity cuts have severely impacted the institutions we rely on to maintain a diverse and vibrant social life in the city. The social problems of our youth are increasing and becoming more complex every year. There is an urgent need for a clear long-term plan to reverse this, as addressing social problems saves money in the long run.

Swimming pools should be accessible to everyone

Our swimming pools are an invaluable cultural heritage of Icelanders. Rates have long been too high, but with the announced changes, it is important that they take all users into account and are affordable both for those who swim often and those who swim rarely. Furthermore, it is unacceptable that swimming pools are constantly on the chopping block for austerity cuts, with persistent instability in both the shortening and lengthening of their opening hours. Robust and inexpensive swimming pools are the key to everyone's access to health benefits and social life.