New Approaches in Homelessness Nicholas Pleace

Overview Integration Prevention Housing Led Housing First Hostels and supported housing Work and education Costs Housing supply

Prevention Longstanding practice in England, more recent in Scotland and Wales Welsh legislative changes are drawing attention from Westminster – 56 days – No priority need, local connection or intentionality – All reasonable steps to help relieve homelessness (duty to help is not a duty to secure accommodation)

Prevention Innovation in access to the PRS Essentially management agencies with a social function Advice through to mediation and support services More of what happens now Joint working with health/social care A lot of people may only need a little help

Housing Led Services Low intensity Case management Tenancy sustainment Harm reduction Personalisation Straight into housing No making people “housing ready”

Housing Led services Low and medium support needs Temporary support needs Low operating costs Highly reliant on joint working Evidence is that they can be effective But do not dilute too much

Housing First Becoming pan European US, then Canada Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden Pan EU guidance (including UK) Housing First Guide Europe this summer (FEANTSA)

Housing First Housing First England programme Being led by Homeless Link

Housing First Homeless people with high support needs Sustained and recurrent homelessness Provides housing immediately, “First” Uses intense mobile case management Some have multidisciplinary teams

Housing First Housing as a human right Harm reduction Personalisation Separation of support and housing Active engagement, recovery orientation But no coercion Support for as long as is needed

Housing First Extraordinarily effective – Evidence from North America, throughout Western Europe – Full RCTs in Canada and France – Initial experiments in UK At least 80% exit homelessness for one year, often higher “Housing Ready” models only 40%-60% Housing First is only for people with high needs

Hostels, supported housing Still have a place Emergency accommodation Specialist services But ‘making people ready for housing’ approach looks less effective Scope for remodelling, e.g. Finland

Work and Education Economic and social integration Crisis Skylight and similar services – Arts based activities – Education, training – Job searching services Economic and social integration – Lasting exit from homelessness – Homelessness prevention

Costs Going to become ever more important Housing-led and Housing First models do appear more (cost) effective Homelessness prevention has the potential to be very cost effective Tackling long-term and repeated homelessness does have a high cost, even if Housing First is less expensive than some existing services

Housing Supply Integrated homelessness strategy can improve things But housing supply remains fundamental

Thanks for listening Nicholas Pleace Centre for Housing Policy – European Observatory on Homelessness – Women’s Homelessness in Europe Network –