1. What Works in Tackling Homelessness?
The Evidence from Europe and Beyond

2. A lot of what we already do ends homelessness

3. Existing services work
Last year of data on Supporting People in England 2010/11
119,200 people entered short-term services with housing needs, 73% housed at exit
St Mungos, London
Nearly 11,000 single homeless people, 77% into housing
Liverpool City Region, 2017
March March 2017, 9,000 single homeless people, 60% into housing

4. Housing First has often been compared with other homelessness services that are not widespread in the UK

5. American/European Comparisons
Housing First ending homelessness for 75%-80% of people with high and complex needs for 1 year plus
Compared to 40-60% for ‘treatment as usual’
Housing First is more cost effective
But ‘treatment as usual’ is often abstinence based, strict regime, limited service user choice, resource intensive treatment-led
Different from a lot of UK services

6. Housing First stops homelessness but there are questions around other support needs

7. Not a Miracle Cure
Housing First has a high success rate in stopping homelessness for high need individuals
But its not 100%, typically around 80%, ranges between 70%-90%
Outcomes in social integration more variable
Same with drugs and alcohol
And with mental and physical health

8. Why Use Housing First? Stops recurrent and sustained homelessness
Gets people out of the revolving door/frequent flying
Health
Criminal Justice
Mental health
Stops homelessness associated with high and complex needs
Reaches people who get stuck in services, get thrown out of services and who don’t use existing services
Increased cost effectiveness

9. International use Federal strategy in the USA and in Canada
Housing First England being led by Homeless Link
Housing First Italia led by fio.PSD
Development led by homelessness organisations in Spain and Portugal
Housing First Europe Hub, led by FEANTSA
National strategy in France, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Wales, Netherlands, Belgium…and England

10. Housing First stops homelessness but we need to be clear what exactly that means

11. When Housing First Works
Housing First is integrated into prevention
Focused on people with high/complex needs because that is what it is designed for
Works alongside other services targeted on other aspects of homelessness
Housing First is not meant for lower needs groups, for homeless families and may well need modification
Women with complex needs (Threshold, Manchester)
Young people with complex needs (Housing First for Youth, Canada/Housing First Hub Europe)

12. United States
The number of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness declined by 18 percent, or over 19,000 people, between and 2017 (small increase )
Chronically Homeless Individual refers to an individual with a disability who has been continuously homeless for one year or more or has experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years where the combined length of time homeless in those occasions is at least 12 months.
Widespread use of Housing First model
Source: HUD (2017)

13. Long term homelessness in Finland
Source: ARA (2018)

14. There is no such thing as an effective ‘Housing First’ strategy

15. There are effective integrated homelessness strategies that include Housing First

16. Using Housing First makes an Integrated homelessness strategy more effective

17. Housing First cannot be a homelessness strategy on its own

18. Housing First is not meant to be a strategy on its own

19. An Integrated Strategy
Finland
Winner of best place ever
Functional zero in homelessness
Strategy
Prevention
Low intensity rapid re-housing when homelessness occurs
Supported housing, housing-led (floating support)
Housing First
Social housing
Full integration of mental health, health, social landlords, local authorities
Comprehensive and integrated

21. Fidelity debate Fidelity High - Canada, France
Lower - UK, Netherlands, Finland
ACT/ICM
All appears to work
Following the core philosophy is important

22. Supported housing Potential for some reduction
Still a need for emergency accommodation
Specialist services, higher risk etc.
But at least some capacity is absorbed by people in a revolving door/frequent flyer position
A population that Housing First will reduce

26. Professor Nicholas Pleace
Director
Centre for Housing Policy, University of York
European Observatory on Homelessness
Women’s Homelessness in Europe Network (WHEN)