Finland's Social Security Institution Kela says that Sami Pietikiäinen, 34, has a flat that costs too much. One month ago he got a letter urging him to move to a cheaper apartment.
Some 25,000 people in receipt of income support, Finland's social security payment of last resort, have been sent similar messages.
This is because of a change in the law. Kela will no longer pay rents exceeding the maximum limits set for each municipality, when it assesses the basic expenditure needed by each applicant.
Piekiäinen's rent exceeds the limit in force for Tampere by 43 euros. Up to now, Kela has paid the full amount.
Now he has to either move or make up the difference himself.
The tighter line is due to the government's cuts to social security spending. Kela estimates that the change will save more than 70 million euros by 2027.
Experts told Yle that they are concerned that the change could increase homelessness among young people.
Some 129,000 people in Finland were receiving income support in August, with around one third of them aged under 30.
Kela has said the cuts are likely to hit unemployed youth and those living alone the hardest.
"Nobody rents to those with bad credit"
The government admits in its proposal that people with bad credit have a much harder time finding an affordable rental apartment.
That has been Sami Piekiäinen's experience as well. When he moved to Tampere a year ago, Piekiäinen sent around a hundred applications for an apartment before he found one.
This time round he has sent around 20, without reply.
Piekiäinen says now that nobody wants to rent to people with bad credit.
"I have basically given up, and I'll just pay the 43 euros for a while," said Piekiäinen.
Moving the only option
Kela had previously been able to pay living costs including rent in full as part of income support, even if they exceeded the maximum rents set for each municipality by five percent or less.
After the law changed, they can no longer do that.
Kela now pays the difference for much smaller numbers of people. In August the figures were down 14 percent compared to February.
Young people have a clear pressure to find a cheaper flat, according to Hilma Sormunen from the Finnish Youth Housing Association.
"It is the first indication of the effects of the cuts in social security," said Sormunen. "There is not the same ability to pay for your own apartment as before."
Moving could be the only option if people do not have the resources to make up the difference themselves.
Increased rent fear
Esa-Pekka Holkko, 31, has sought a cheaper flat for half a year. He has lost a lot of sleep due to his concerns about the rise in rent for his current apartment.
He says it feels difficult to find a new flat in Hämeenlinna.
"Because I'm unemployed, people have said directly, both from private and rental firms, that I am not taken seriously as a potential tenant," said Holkko.
When Yle crowdsourced experiences from under-30s last week, there were more than 40 responses.
Respondents said that getting a flat that meets Kela's specifications has been difficult. Cheaper flats either don't exist or are difficult to get because of bad credit records.
Some respondents said they would be forced to move back to live with their parents or become homeless if they did not find a new flat meeting Kela's specifications.
Hilma Sormunen says that people in the housing sector are concerned that youth homelessness could soon increase.
Not easy to find cheaper flats
Sormunen says the big problem is a lack of affordable flats for younger people, especially in the capital city region and other growing southern cities.
Kela's letters urging people to find cheaper apartments are mostly sent to clients in the larger cities.
For example in Tampere it is very difficult to find flats meeting Kela's criteria, according to the association's local chapter.
The association offers flats to people aged 18-29 who would not otherwise get a home due to rent arrears or bad credit ratings. Now many of their tenants have received letters from Kela saying their flats are too expensive.
The association has some 75 rental apartments, but double that number of applicants seeking flats.
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