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The path from unemployment to work and stable housing
Providing both housing and employment support is key to the success of a project that includes savings matching to help homeless people build up enough money for a rent deposit, explains Helen Watson
A roof over your head and a stable income. These are the pillars that most of us have become incredibly grateful for in a time of global crisis and they come second, in the current context, to good health for ourselves and our loved ones.
But as we begin to move out of lockdown and brace for the oncoming economic impact of these vital measures, too many are having to go without at least one of these pillars.
At Rentstart – a charity working with homeless and vulnerable housed people in Elmbridge – we see too many people stuck in a never-ending cycle of homelessness and unemployment. Without a stable income, private renting in the UK is simply unaffordable and without a roof over your head, holding down a job is near impossible.
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This cycle is more difficult to break than you might think. Many of our clients have actually cited finding work as the problem, not the solution they believed it would be. Unstable temporary housing and no permanent address, fluctuating benefits paid in arrears as well as a lack of access to training and advice on how to re-enter the job market can all prevent someone finding work and subsequently accommodation.
Over time we realised the complexity of the challenges people face when leaving the benefits system behind and transitioning into work and independence. The gap between benefits ending and any first salary payment often means the person simply cannot afford to go to work. Costs such as getting to work, needing new clothes or a sudden increase in charges such as council tax can feel insurmountable. It was out of this paradox that Freedom 2 Work – an employment and housing project we run with the support of Commonweal Housing – was born.
Delivered by Elmbridge Rentstart and supported by Commonweal Housing, Freedom 2 Work is a housing project which provides people facing homelessness with stable accommodation alongside person-centred support and employment advice, for example on CV writing, job hunting and other needs as identified.
This is coupled with a savings reward scheme which matches savings made by tenants with funding from the project, enabling tenants to build up a pot of money to cover gaps in benefit payments, pay off a loan or even used it as a deposit for a private rental property.
“With so many made unemployed as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the competition for new jobs is going to be fiercer than ever”
Our project was built on the belief that if people are to successfully transition from homelessness and unemployment to work and independence, then they need three things: access to sustainable and quality accommodation, the opportunity to commit to saving financially for their future, and targeted personal support to help navigate the different issues that they face.
This week, an evaluation of the project has found that it is having a powerful impact, saving over £2m to society over just three years and enabling clients to build a stable future. Based in Elmbridge, the project has helped 74 vulnerably housed individuals facing unemployment over three years. Forty-seven per cent of clients have been supported into full-time or part-time employment and 72% of clients have moved on to stable accommodation.
By working closely with each individual, we have been able to support many people back into independence and a much brighter future. Uniquely, the match-funded rent credit element of the project has provided the financial firepower for people to move forward when the time was right. As one client put it, Freedom 2 Work “has made me think, ‘yes, I can’”.
With so many made unemployed as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the competition for new jobs is going to be fiercer than ever. Many will be unable to afford their rent and with the welcome suspension of evictions due to come to an end in October, we are looking at a potential spike in homelessness in the coming months.
Freedom 2 Work is helping clients in Elmbridge, but across the country more and more people are in need of stable housing and employment support. The evaluation has found that the project could be adapted in other areas up and down the UK – something that we are committed to supporting other organisations to do as they try and adapt to the current crisis.
There has never been a more important time to provide people with the support and stability they need to build themselves a future. With innovative projects like Freedom 2 Work, we have the chance to do so.
Helen Watson, chief executive, Rentstart
