Hus Forbi

What Hus Forbi does

Hus Forbi is a Danish non-profit association (Foreningen Hus Forbi) founded in 1996 and headquartered in Vanløse, Copenhagen. Its mission is to create debate and dialogue about homelessness and social marginalization while providing employment and practical support services to homeless and socially vulnerable individuals in Denmark. The organization operates as a social enterprise with its primary go-to-market being street vending of the Hus Forbi newspaper by homeless and marginalized sellers, supplemented by e-newspaper access via voucher codes and jubilee books, corporate sponsorships and advertising, individual donations and memberships, and the Pant for Pant bottle/can collection service.

The organization's revenue model is diversified across seven streams: physical newspaper sales, e-newspaper subscriptions, Pant for Pant bottle deposits (via Denmark's deposit return system), recurring and one-time donations, advertising on page 2 of the newspaper, merchandise sales (including a 30th anniversary poster by artist Frederik Næblerød), and individual/corporate fundraising campaigns through the Time2Give white-label platform. Practical support services for vendors include legal aid, transportation assistance, medication support, pet insurance, and clothing. Technology infrastructure is minimal and outsourced: Hus Forbi uses Time2Give for digital fundraising, MobilePay for donation collection, and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, podcast) for engagement.

The customer base spans three segments: homeless and socially marginalized individuals (primary beneficiaries and street vendors), socially conscious businesses (corporate sponsors seeking ESG positioning), and individual donors/supporters (private givers and recurring members). Distribution is domestic-only across Denmark's Capital Region and beyond via the street vendor network, e-newspaper platform, and Pant for Pant pickup routes. The organization is governed by a general assembly under its articles of association and has no parent company, external investors, or subsidiaries.

Name

Hus Forbi

Legal name

Foreningen Hus Forbi

Website

https://husforbi.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services / Homeless Support Nonprofit

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonprofit / Social Services BOP (FSAJAFAM)

Keywords

• Street newspaper publishing
• Homeless employment programs
• Bottle return collection
• Social support services
• Nonprofit fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Vanløse

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Newspaper Sales: Hus Forbi newspaper is sold by street vendors (homeless and socially marginalized individuals) who earn income through these sales. The organization facilitates employment opportunities for vulnerable populations.
2. E-newspaper Subscriptions: Digital access to the Hus Forbi newspaper via voucher codes or jubilee book login, sold to readers who prefer digital versions.
3. Bottle/Can Collection (Pant for Pant): Hus Forbi collects empty bottles and cans from businesses and households, generating revenue through the Danish deposit return system while providing work for vulnerable individuals as drivers.
4. Donations and Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors, individual donors, and members provide financial support through various programs including fixed monthly/annual donations, one-time gifts, and sponsorship packages.
5. Advertising in Newspaper: Businesses can advertise in the Hus Forbi newspaper, with their logos appearing on page 2 to show support for the organization.
6. Merchandise Sales: Sale of commemorative items such as the 30th anniversary poster created by artist Frederik Næblerød, with proceeds supporting homeless and socially marginalized individuals.
7. Fundraising Campaigns: Individual and corporate fundraising campaigns through the Time2Give platform, including memorial collections, birthday collections, and company-sponsored initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hus Forbi is a Danish non-profit association that publishes and distributes the Hus Forbi-avisen street newspaper, sold by homeless and socially marginalized individuals across Denmark as a source of income. It also runs the Pant for Pant bottle/can return collection service, the e-avis digital newspaper, and a portfolio of support services (legal aid, transportation, medication, pet insurance, clothing) for its sellers, funded by donations, sponsorships, advertising, and merchandise sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pant for Pant: Bottle return collection service where Hus Forbi collects empty bottles from businesses and homes to support their activities.
• Hus Forbi-avisen

Products and services

• Hus Forbi-avisen (Street Newspaper)

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 282,000 socially marginalized people in Denmark benefit from or are affected by Hus Forbi's work

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clarion Hotel Copenhagen AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2026Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport provides the venue for Den Sociale Dag 2026, an annual conference focused on ESG and social inclusion in the workplace. The event takes place at the hotel's facilities, with the hotel supporting Hus Forbi's mission through in-kind venue donation.
• Geelmuyden KieseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2026Geelmuyden Kiese hosts a Folkemødet 2026 session on workplace communities and social responsibility, partnering with Hus Forbi on discussions about integrating marginalized people into the workforce.
• SAND (User Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026SAND is a user organization for homeless and marginalized people. Hus Forbi collaborates with SAND on events like Folkemødet 2026 to advocate for the rights and voices of people experiencing homelessness.
• FeiberminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeiber sponsors prizes for Hus Forbi e-avis promotions, providing gift cards worth 1,500 DKK each to readers and sellers who purchase the digital newspaper during promotional periods.
• Time2GivecoreTechnology or IntegrationTime2Give provides the digital fundraising platform used by Hus Forbi for individual and corporate fundraising campaigns, including memorial collections, birthday collections, and company-sponsored initiatives.
• Mick ØgendahlminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish comedian Mick Øgendahl appears in promotional videos for the Pant for Pant bottle collection program, helping raise awareness for the initiative through his social influence.
• Apotekerforeningen (Danish Pharmacy Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHus Forbi partners with the Danish Pharmacy Association for the Folkemødet 2026 debate on healthcare access for marginalized women, addressing gaps in the healthcare system.
• Scenen for Samfundsansvar – ESG (Stage for Social Responsibility)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESG stage at Folkemødet hosts multiple Hus Forbi events including workplace wellness discussions and the 30th anniversary celebration, providing a platform for social responsibility topics.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Gateavisa: Norwegian street newspaper sold by people with substance abuse and social challenges. Closest Nordic peer to Hus Forbi, sharing geography, language family, and welfare-system context, but operating in a separate national market.

Direct peers

• The Big Issue: The UK's flagship street newspaper sold by homeless vendors. Operates the same model as Hus Forbi — print street sales by marginalized sellers with wraparound support services — making it the most directly comparable peer internationally.
• Faktum: Swedish street newspaper sold by homeless and socially marginalized vendors. Direct Nordic peer with the same operating model, language-adjacent market, and similar beneficiary profile to Hus Forbi.
• Streetwise Foundation: UK-based social enterprise producing a street newspaper sold by homeless vendors. Operates an analogous print-newspaper-plus-support model in a comparable Northern European welfare context.
• Megaphone Magazine: Canadian street newspaper sold by homeless and low-income vendors. Direct peer operating the same vendor-employed print sales model with vendor support services, adapted to the North American market.
• L'Itinéraire: Montreal-based street newspaper for homeless and at-risk vendors. One of the longest-running French-language street papers globally and a structural peer to Hus Forbi in mission and revenue model.
• Die Brücke: German street magazine sold by homeless vendors in Hamburg and other German cities. European peer operating the same street-newspaper-plus-social-services model for marginalized individuals.

Others

• International Network of Street Papers (INSP): Global umbrella organization representing 80+ street newspapers in 35 countries, including Hus Forbi's peers. Included as an ecosystem/adjacent peer — not a direct competitor but a network enabler and industry convener for the street-newspaper model.

Broad incumbents

• Blå Kors Danmark: Danish NGO providing housing, treatment, and social services to people with addiction and homelessness. Operates as a broader social services incumbent addressing the same beneficiary population as Hus Forbi through a different delivery model.
• Røde Kors (Danish Red Cross): Denmark's largest humanitarian organization providing shelter, social support, and integration services. Operates broader social programs that overlap with Hus Forbi's beneficiary population but does not run the street-newspaper vendor model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/husforbidk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hus-forbi
• Instagraminstagram.com/hus_forbi
• Xx.com/Hus_Forbi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hus Forbi