Housing company turns to ex-offenders to build knowledge about addiction

The public housing company Bostäder i Borås is working with KRIS and Socialkraft, a peer support association made up of former criminals and addicts who are striving for a drug-free life, in order to train its employees in how to respond to drug abuse. The public is also invited to a lecture on the subject. The aim is to create safe role models for young people and to spread knowledge about the different sides of drug abuse.

- With this initiative we are taking another step in our work on social sustainability, says Genc Avdiu, acting head of area development at Bostäder i Borås. Not only to train our staff and our volunteers, but also to engage the whole of Borås in important social issues. It is about creating a stronger and better informed society where we can all help reduce the effects of abuse.

Together with KRIS (kriminellas revansch i samhället) and Socialkraft, the work begins with a lecture on the risks of drug use and on preventive measures. The initiative is the first of its kind, both for the housing company and for Borås Stad as a whole, as the aim is to educate both the public and the company's employees.

- To begin with, we contacted KRIS and Socialkraft to support parents and our adult street patrols in their work, says Genc Avdiu. The wellbeing and knowledge of the adult patrols is crucial for building a safer society. Fairly soon we also saw the value of sharing that knowledge with the public as well. It is a step towards openness and cooperation that we hope will become a model for future initiatives too.

The lecture will be held on Wednesday 31 January at 18:00 in Hässlehuset, Våglängdsgatan 5 in Borås.