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National Housing First programme should be introduced to end rough sleeping by 2024, leading thinktank declares

A national Housing First programme would seize on the opportunity presented by the COVID-19 crisis and help end rough sleeping ahead of the government’s 2024 target, a leading centre-right thinktank has said.

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Sajid Javid has backed the Centre for Social Justice’s call for a national Housing First programme
Sajid Javid has backed the Centre for Social Justice’s call for a national Housing First programme
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A leading centre-right thinktank is calling for a national Housing First programme and the development of 100,000 social rent homes over the next two years #UKhousing

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is urging ministers to expand its current Housing First programme in order to build on the success of its Everyone In project, which saw 30,000 homeless people offered self-contained accommodation during the pandemic.

A new report by the CSJ has estimated it would cost £450m to roll out Housing First nationally, however it is also estimated that such a scheme would generate savings across health, criminal justice and social support.

The thinktank, founded by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, is also calling on the government to bring forward its £12.2bn Affordable Homes Programme to deliver an additional 50,000 social rented homes per year over the next two years.

This will increase the supply of homes for Housing First while also ensuring the national roll-out does not reduce the availability of general needs social housing, the report said.

The CSJ’s call is backed by former chancellor Sajid Javid, who introduced three Housing First pilots, worth £28m, in Manchester, Liverpool and the West Midlands during his time as housing secretary.

He said: “Redoubled efforts to support rough sleepers facing the most profound challenges will be critical to meeting the government’s ambitious target to end rough sleeping once and for all. That’s what makes this report from the CSJ both significant and timely.”


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Housing First is the concept that rough sleepers should be immediately provided with a permanent home, alongside intensive wrap-around support.

Traditionally, rough sleepers often have to spend lengthy periods of time in temporary accommodation and move through multiple supported housing schemes before being offered a permanent tenancy.

England’s Housing First projects have achieved an 88% success rate of individuals maintaining their tenancy.

A number of countries across the world have already moved from piloting Housing First to rolling it out as a mainstream approach, including Finland, Denmark, Canada, the US and France.

The CSJ said that the pandemic has made it clear that rough sleeping is a much wider problem in England than previously thought.

The latest annual nightly count of rough sleepers in England, carried out in November 2019, before the pandemic hit, found 4,226 people sleeping rough on a single night. However, the Everyone In scheme has supported almost 30,000 people at risk of rough sleeping since 2020.

The CSJ’s report suggested that at least 16,500 people would benefit from Housing First in England, however just 2,000 places are currently available.

It recommends the government to commit to an annual budget of £150.3m for three years to deliver 16,450 Housing First places in England, arguing that these costs will be offset by savings elsewhere.

The analysis found that £9,683 is spent annual per average on a Housing First client, however £15,073 is saved on other bills including homelessness services, the NHS, mental health services, and drug and alcohol support.

Andy Cook, chief executive of the CSJ, said: “If we are to truly break the cycle of homelessness, we need to be much bolder in our approach.

“There is an opportunity now to end rough sleeping through a national roll-out of Housing First.

“The government’s Everyone In programme has undoubtedly saved many lives, but now is the time to go further if we want to truly provide long-term solutions for Britain’s homeless people.

“Evidence from the UK and abroad shows that Housing First works. It ends and prevents rough sleeping for the vast majority of people with high and complex needs. Typically, over 80% of the scheme’s tenants retain their tenancies.

“This is cause for celebration as it usually means tenants have sorted out other areas of their lives, such as taking control of their finances, cutting down on anti-social behaviour and addressing alcohol and drug problems. For many it also means taking steps towards employment, volunteering and training.”

“Having a home is sign of stability, and for most of England’s homeless population it is the beginning rather than the end of their journey towards inclusion in society.

“The CSJ strongly urges the government to deliver a national Housing First programme, realising significant savings for the taxpayer and supporting thousands of the country’s most vulnerable people.”

An MHCLG spokesperson said: “The government has provided unprecedented funding to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, with £700 million of spending this year and £750 million next year.

“In May 2018 the government funded three £28 million Housing First pilots to provide housing and wrap around support to rough sleepers in Greater Manchester, West Midlands and the Liverpool City Region.

“The independent evaluation of the ongoing Housing First pilots is underway, and we will consider these findings going forward.”

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