1. Coming of Age: Older homelessness and Supporting People Jenny Pannell October 2004

2. Coming of Age: Older homelessness and Supporting People research commissioned by the UK Coalition on Older Homelessness and Homeless Link funded by Help the Aged and hact links with previous and current work on older homelessness by the Coalition, HtA and hact briefing paper for SP commissioners and their partners, and full report includes detailed work on numbers and costs of older homelessness by the New Policy Institute

3. Older people are “the forgotten homeless ”: They fall down the gaps between strategies and services –mainstream older people’s strategies and service provision may assume older people are adequately housed –older people are often marginalised in all-age homelessness services and ignored in homelessness strategies –specialist services and strategies (eg domestic violence, mental health, learning disability) may not consider the different needs of people in later life

4. SP programme provides opportunities to meet the challenge of older homelessness –for creative commissioning of new services –to influence and change existing services –to encourage provider organisations to work collaboratively –to work in partnership with other commissioners and funders

5. Outline of research what are the challenges? how should we define and count older homelessness? what are the costs of older homelessness? complex reasons for older homelessness good practice examples of joint working to meet needs a checklist for local action

6. What are the challenges? need for joint commissioning, joint funding, partnerships (housing, health, social services, specialist voluntary agencies) but not easy to achieve bricks and mortar provision (new build, existing stock, reprovisioning) not always easy to fund or source some older homeless people have multiple and complex needs but are shunted between services and budgets (housing-related support, health, social care) and lots more challenges… but we have the answers!

7. How should we define and count “older homeless people”? (1) People aged 50+, because –long-term homeless people die young and have serious health problems –people aged 50+ more vulnerable to known triggers of older homelessness including bereavement, isolation and poverty Homelessness defined as by law BUT –official homelessness statistics seriously under-report older homelessness –problems with finding accurate data on age

8. How should we define and count “older homeless people”? (2) Homelessness defined as by law: –rough sleepers –hostel residents (direct access or short-stay) –bed and breakfast/boarders (with no other option) –nowhere to go on discharge from institutions (eg prison) –staying with friends or family (and overcrowded) –unreasonable to remain in current housing because of harassment, abuse, domestic violence –about to be evicted and also those resettled but at risk of abandonment or eviction, and those excluded because of previous failed tenancies

9. What are the costs of older homelessness? Homelessness is especially distressing for an older person. But homelessness also costs money. Services to help older homeless people can save money by saving on costs such as: –failed tenancies (abandonment/eviction/arrears) –health costs (mental health, TB, fractures …) –bed-blocking in direct access or short-stay hostels –police and criminal justice costs (eg attacks on older homeless people) –higher-cost options (eg nursing home) instead of lower cost options (eg sheltered housing with support)

10. Complex reasons for older homelessness Some older people are long-term homeless from earlier life but many become homeless for the first time in later life Homelessness is often triggered by bereavement or relationship breakdown but linked to other factors including: –limited or no support networks –a history of unresolved loss or trauma –physical health problems, disability, sensory impairment –mental health problems, dementia –substance abuse, addiction –limited literacy/numeracy, lack of or loss of confidence in managing bills

11. Good practice examples (1) Specialist resettlement and tenancy sustainment services, including: Cambridge Cyrenians Salvation Army, Bristol Shelter,Sheffield Specialist supported housing projects, including: Framework, Nottingham St Mungo’s, London TRB, London Two Saints, Southampton Zambesi Project, Birmingham

12. Good practice examples (2) Access to advice and support, food, social interaction and “meaningful activity” are important to help maintain tenancies and this will need partnership funding: St Eugene’s Court, Birmingham: specialist housing and community centre in partnership with the Irish Welfare and Advice Service Homeless day centres including The Passage Day Centre, London; Shekinah Mission, Plymouth; Emmanuel House, Nottingham

13. A checklist for local action (1) For local strategies (Supporting People, older people, homelessness, housing, others) you need to ask: –do all the relevant strategies address the needs of older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness? –are there good links between homelessness agencies, advice agencies, older people’s agencies (eg Age Concern) and older people’s housing providers including RSLs? –what gaps are there in your area? Are there services to meet the needs of specific groups eg BME, older women?

14. A checklist for local action (2) For local strategies (Supporting People, older people, homelessness, housing, others) you need to know: –how many older people are homeless or at risk of homelessness –whether local homeless provision and services are available and appropriate for older homeless people –Supporting People reviews and contract management can encourage partnership working, training and other links between homelessness and older people’s services

15. Coming of Age: Older homelessness and Supporting People Jenny Pannell October 2004