Despite Britain being one of the richest countries in the world, there is an ugly manifestation of grotesque inequality rising and many of our citizens have no choice but to live in accommodation that is run-down, poorly managed, or dangerous. Others live in fear of homelessness, or have lost their homes altogether; surviving day-to-day, bed-to-bed, bench-to-bench. This crisis must be acknowledged and tackled with an all-out attack on homelessness and affordable housing supply by the UK government, who must pro-actively engage specialist social entrepreneurs, housing developers, accommodation providers - in both the private and social rented sectors - corporate partners, crisis responders, support providers, local councils and their wider communities.
It is vital a that diversion of accessible funding is made available to encourage and strongly promote further investigation of innovative solutions directed towards both short and long-term affordable housing supply in Britain, and most crucially, the development of a housing accessibility component of the ‘Housing First’ framework, as it continues to be adapted and promoted for use within the UK.
To prevent and end homelessness for everyone, communities must have a comprehensive response plan in place which ensures that all people experiencing a housing crisis get the help they need. That response must include both specialised homelessness services and access to mainstream resources — primarily housing, welfare benefits, education, mental and physical health care, life-skills, budgeting and financial responsibility training and employment opportunities — intervention that can help people achieve housing stability and go on to realise their personal goals. People that have suffered the trauma of homelessness need to be given aspiration about their future and be surrounded by people they can relate to, as well as people they can inspire and be inspired by.
PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Central Government, Local Councils, the National Health Service, the Welfare System, Social Services and the Criminal Justice System are all experiencing additional costs and extreme pressures as a direct consequence of homelessness. The economic case for using traditional methods and current services to prevent and reduce all types of homelessness in Britain needs to be properly assessed;
Likewise, an independent enquiry and official review into the provision of temporary, hostel, bed and breakfast and hotel-type accommodation for both homeless individuals and families should be undertaken;
There is a growing movement of individuals and organisations, both official and unofficial, responding to homelessness and affordable housing issues with a wide variety of methods and techniques. The widening-gap between the public, private, third, voluntary and academic sectors, as well as with well-meaning members of the public, must be addressed. In order to be effective, efforts should be correctly focused, consistent and conjoined;
Britain should respond to all types of homelessness effectively, as well as the wider affordable housing need. Whilst social and private building and construction could - and most certainly should - be incorporated into any long-term address plan, it is imperative that we identify, nurture and support trusted property holders or providers who can provide immediate or rapid access to suitable rental housing. Professional respondents to homelessness, as well as local and central governments, must acknowledge that housing supply for the socially disadvantaged groups can be found via effective relationship building with our private rented home and/or private property investment market and should look at new methods to allow effective collaboration with this sector;
The viability and economic case for utilising ‘Housing First’ led initiatives within the private and social rented sectors needs urgent further exploration. Despite reporting remarkably successful outcomes, pilot scheme data currently available assesses only sixty ‘Housing First’ participants in England, over a six-year period. Britain should fully assess the full financial implications of national policy ‘Housing First’ and take lead from the State of California in working towards exclusivity in ‘Housing First’ led address towards chronic homelessness;
A ‘Housing First’ approach can benefit both homeless individuals and families. The flexible and responsive nature of address allows ‘Housing First’ strategies to be tailored towards any degree of service needs. As such, ‘Housing First’ inspired response could be applied to end the homelessness stature of any homeless household. Those who become homeless due to a temporary personal or financial crisis - and therefore have minimal support requirements – may only require help to access and secure permanent housing. Immediate intervention would prevent crisis escalation and so further exploration of mass-scale adoption ‘Housing First’ impact should be undertaken;
Britain should develop a consortium of trusted partners who are actively working towards evolution of ‘Housing First’ framework with the goal of this enhanced strategy being promoted and implemented freely across Britain; eventually, to replace traditional linear approach. Participation must include contributors and representation from each of the sectors, those with lived experience of all types of homelessness, and it must be inclusive to providers of both housing and support. An alignment of professional respondents should allow the comparison between the enabling of crisis response and the positive outcomes which can be associated with sustainable, housing and support-led solutions;
ANY organisation with duty or responsibility to provide homeless individuals or households with assistance should develop a robust support package for ‘Housing First’ participants and their property owners and managers, even if not participating in an official ‘Housing First’ pilot scheme. The offering of financial bonuses and short-term incentives may enable initial access to property stock, however this will not support nor sustain the success of a long-term relationship and sustainable positive outcomes. Supporting agencies should thoroughly assess service user need and be transparent with property owners about the level of care both required and offered. ‘Housing First’ intervention services should be consistent, whilst affording flexibility, and all parties should be fully aware of their rights and responsibilities;
Decision makers should be critical when assessing the projects, plans and establishments which will receive funding to address homelessness and its wider associated issues in Britain. To sustain, thrive and grow, non-profit-making organisations and the charitable sector can become more commercially focused via the implementation of mission-led enterprise strategies. Britain should encourage a movement of social entrepreneurship and inter-sector collaboration over the traditional ‘just giving’ model. Funding should be reserved only for those deploying techniques which evidence and/or can demonstrate an ability to end or prevent homelessness and its wider associated issues;
Corporate Social Responsibility has potential to greatly impact on the delivery and enhancement of homelessness services in the United Kingdom and non-profit organisations should explore ways of forming and sustaining relationships with private sector entities. The focus of CSR should not be purely financial; participants should look to enhance each other’s operations and create value for participants in varied, unique and exciting ways;
Further international research must be undertaken within this field and casual connections created during this Fellowship should be developed and strengthened on. There is great economic benefit to our nation if we are able to design a successful homelessness prevention and response programme which international colleagues can learn and benefit from, with small financial investments having the potential to generate mass-scale positive outcomes. Support must be granted to both conduct and disseminate both UK-based and international research and a seat of learning within an academic institution, combined with an advisory position within the relevant central government department should be granted so that we further expand upon this work.
DISH, San Francisco: Providing housing, hope and a little piece of heaven to the city’s most vulnerable and displaced
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
