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Even in an affluent county, we must take action to tackle the rough sleeping crisis

People may not associate Oxfordshire with rough sleeping, but for us the problem is real and we are doing something to solve it, writes Kate Wareing

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Oxfordshire is not an area traditionally associated with deprivation (picture: Getty)
Oxfordshire is not an area traditionally associated with deprivation (picture: Getty)
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People may not associate Oxfordshire with rough sleeping, but for us the problem is real and we are doing something to solve it, writes Kate Wareing #ukhousing

Even in an affluent county, we must take action to tackle the rough sleeping crisis writes Kate Wareing #ukhousing

When people think of Oxfordshire, my home and Soha Housing’s base, thoughts turn to images of affluence: Oxford’s dreaming spires, Cotswold villages, and a burgeoning science industry.

For those in search of somewhere to live, Oxfordshire can look very different. With some of the highest house prices when compared with earnings in the country and market rents mostly well in excess of Local Housing Allowance levels, finding somewhere affordable to live is incredibly hard. A single room in a shared house in a non-leafy part of Oxford is routinely £700 a month, plus bills.

Consequently, one of the main causes of homelessness in recent years is the ending of a private sector tenancy. Nationally, in just six years from 2010, the number of people made homeless following the end of a private tenancy rose from 6,000 to over 18,000 per year.

One of the more visible manifestations of this systemic crisis in our housing system is homelessness. Although most remain hidden – a friend of mine has just spent nine months moving between friends’ sofas and would never have described herself as homeless – the visible ‘tip’ of the homelessness crisis is increasingly visible.


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Shameful, though, it sounds to even say, as an Oxford resident for more than 20 years, I have always been used to seeing rough sleepers in the middle of the city. What’s new are three things: who is rough sleeping – more women, more people who look as though they are new to the streets; the sheer numbers of people bedded down at night; and, probably as a result of the first two, that rough sleeping is no longer an ‘Oxford’ experience. People are bedding down in car parks on the edge of the city, outside shopping parades on estates, in tents by the river and across the county’s market towns.

“Repeated and long-term exposure to rough sleeping damages physical and mental health and seriously affects people’s futures. The average life expectancy for a homeless man is 47”

Homeless people can find themselves living long term in many environments – B&Bs, sofa surfing, squatting – but the human cost is certainly among the highest for those sleeping on the streets. Repeated and long-term exposure to rough sleeping damages physical and mental health and seriously affects people’s futures. The average life expectancy for a homeless man is 47. And for those wanting to make the fiscal case for tackling homelessness, there is also a wider economic cost as long-term and repeat homelessness is associated with increased use of other services: health, police and criminal justice.

At the root of homelessness is something suggested by its very name: the lack of a home. Foundational for people to rebuild their lives is therefore to make it easier to access affordable, secure and decent accommodation quickly, and with the right support when that is also needed.

Soha has always built new homes as our contribution to improving the available of affordable and secure homes for the huge number of people in our communities who need them. We aim to build about 250 new homes a year, and last year we were the third highest builder of new homes in the country as a percentage of our current stock.

Newer to us is developing a much faster and more individualised accommodation and support offer for people who are currently right at the sharp end of homelessness. We are responding to this need by working with South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) and Aspire, an agency supporting vulnerable people into homes and employment, to introduce a Housing First model that prioritises getting people quickly into stable homes.

It is proven to end homelessness for around 80% of people with high support needs. The focus is on helping people into permanent accommodation before addressing any other issues they may need support with.

Initially, Soha is beginning with a modest number of homes available. These six homes are being provided from across our 7,000 stock, for homeless people with complex needs who are referred to us by SODC. Once housed, other support needs are addressed through intensive support provided by our Oxfordshire-based and social enterprise partner, Aspire. They help vulnerable people facing challenges, such as poverty, addiction, offending histories or mental health difficulties, to move into the world of work and make significant, positive changes to their lives.

We are just at the start of this journey. Soha currently lets 450 homes a year and while six properties under the Housing First model is a modest amount, the organisation sees lots of scope to grow by working in partnership with the local authority and other agencies. We are not one of the urban associations funded by government to roll out this model, but we feel we cannot be passively waiting for future funds.

We are jointly and equally funding the initiative with SODC and have commissioned independent evaluation to show how best to made the model transferable to a semi-rural area not historically associated with homelessness.

Soha is also active with Homes for Cathy: the national group of housing associations working together to end homelessness. Collectively these housing associations are committed to lobbying for solutions that make a difference to the lives of people who are, or are at risk of being, homeless. They share good practice to help prevent homelessness and find secure homes. Our board has signed up to their nine commitments, one of which is to “lobby, challenge and inspire others to support ending homelessness”.

“I am convinced that the Housing First model of providing stable, appropriate accommodation with necessary support as quickly as possible will help reduce homelessness and its wider impact”

As a housing association, it is our job is to proactively meet the breadth of housing needs in our communities, including the needs of the homeless. To grow this initiative, it needs funding from a broader network of funders, so we need to position ourselves to make a strong case for the future. I also see the opportunity for other housing providers to help the most vulnerable homeless. I would enthusiastically encourage other housing associations to think about their mission and to proactively work in partnership in their communities.

While as a society we struggle with the systemic issues of highly unaffordable housing, lack of housing security and reduced levels of flexible support services, housing associations are in the enviable position of having choices to make. Every pound we spend is trade off between delivering a service now and building more homes for the future, so these decisions are never easy.

I am convinced that the Housing First model of providing stable, appropriate accommodation with necessary support as quickly as possible will help reduce homelessness and its wider impact. Taking the initiative to show how this can be done and building the commitment of local statutory agencies necessary to scale up is a role that housing associations are almost uniquely well placed to play.

Kate Wareing, chief executive, Soha Housing

Housing First: The seven key principles

  • People have a right to a home so Housing First prioritises access to housing as quickly as possible without any conditions other than the willingness to maintain a tenancy. Individuals won’t lose the tenancy if they disengage from or no longer require support.
  • Flexible support is provided for as long as it is needed with housing providers committing to long-term, flexible support without a fixed end date.
  • The housing and support are separate – so housing is not conditional on engaging with the support. The offer of support remains if the tenancy fails.
  • Individuals have choice and control. They have the choice, where possible, about where they live. Accommodation should be pepper-potted and self-contained, unless an individual says they would prefer shared housing.
  • Active engagement. Staff proactively engage clients and caseloads are small. Support provided as long as clients need it.
  • The service supports people to identify their strengths and goals and to develop skills and knowledge to achieve them.
  • A harm reduction approach is used – so individuals who, for example, self-harm are supported to undertake practices which minimise the risk of them self-harming.

Source: Housing First England

Cathy at 50 campaign

Cathy at 50 campaign

Our Cathy at 50 campaign calls on councils to explore Housing First as a default option for long-term rough sleepers and commission Housing First schemes, housing associations to identify additional stock for Housing First schemes and government to support five Housing First projects, collect evidence and distribute best practice.

Click here to read more about Cathy at 50

The nine Homes for Cathy commitments

The nine Homes for Cathy commitments

The Homes for Cathy group of housing associations, working with housing charity Crisis, is asking its members to sign up to nine commitments to tackle homelessness:

They are:

  1. To contribute to the development and execution of local authority homelessness strategies
  2. To operate flexible allocations and eligibility polices which allow individual applicants’ unique sets of circumstances and housing histories to be considered
  3. To offer constructive solutions to applicants who aren’t deemed eligible for an offer of a home
  4. To not make homeless any tenant seeking to prevent their homelessness (as defined in the Crisis plan)
  5. To commit to meeting the needs of vulnerable tenant groups
  6. To work in partnership to provide a range of affordable housing options which meet the needs of all homeless people in their local communities
  7. To ensure that properties offered to homeless people are ready to move into
  8. To contribute to ending migrant homelessness in the areas housing associations operate
  9. To lobby, challenge and inspire others to support ending homelessness
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