Full backing for Housing First among major English parties

News07.06.1711.48 AM by Peter Apps

Labour’s promise to explore Housing First as a way of tackling rough sleeping means there is now full political backing for the policy among England’s major parties.

The party had previously promised to reserve 4,000 properties for street homeless people, but went further in its housing mini-manifesto this week.

It said: “We’ll explore how this might develop into a ‘Housing First’ approach to provide a long-term solution to those rough sleepers with complex needs.”

It means Inside Housing’s Cathy at 50 campaign, which called on the parties to commit to a pilot of the scheme, has achieved one of its major aims.

The Conservative Party included the policy in its manifesto published in May. It said: “We will set up a new homelessness reduction taskforce that will focus on prevention and affordable housing, and we will pilot a Housing First approach to tackle rough sleeping.”

The Liberal Democrats pledged to make all councils have at least one Housing First provider for “long-term, entrenched” homeless people.

About Cathy at 50

The scale of the problem makes it imperative that councils, housing associations and the government work to find solutions. Rough sleeping in England jumped 30% last year, when 3,569 people were recorded on the streets. This is double the level recorded in 2010.

In order to help, the Cathy at 50 campaign will look to build skills and awareness both inside the housing sector and externally. For starters, Inside Housing is kicking of the campaign with a series of in-depth investigations and pieces of research throughout the anniversary week.

We will also be reaching beyond the sector, by launching a film competition – Reel Homes – in an attempt to engage young filmmakers in this crucial subject to produce a Cathy Come Home for the 21st Century. Housing associations have already pledged more than £10,000 to help fund the film and provide prize money for the winner. And we are also calling on the sector and government to look at adopting a Housing First approach to help tackle entrenched rough sleeping. The model, which involved providing permanent housing backed up by tailored support, appears to have had a dramatic impact in countries like the USA and Finland.

Finally, we are calling on the UK government to commit to ending rough sleeping, and halving the current figure by 2020 as a staging post. As we look to mark the 50th anniversary of a film that got many of our readers involved in the housing sector in the first place, it is time to renew the fight.

Cathy at 50 campaign aims:

To launch a film competition to produce a finished work about homelessness or the impact of the housing crisis .
A week of detailed research and stories from the frontline to mark the 50th anniversary of Cathy Come Home and promote a wider debate about the current homelessness crisis.
Call for 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.
Call for the UK government to commit to ending rough sleeping and to halve rough sleeping by 2020 as the first step to achieving this.

Housing First involves providing rough sleepers with accommodation and then building in other forms of support around that.

It has been hugely successful in other countries, credited with virtually ending street homelessness in Finland, and several pilots have already been launched in England.

Housing associations in Manchester have promised to make homes available for a Housing First programme, supporting new mayor Andy Burnham’s bid to tackle high levels of rough sleeping in the city.

Plaid Cymru has also backed Housing First. There was no mention of it in the Scottish National Party manifesto.