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Javid backs Housing First feasibility study
Sajid Javid has committed to ending rough sleeping and revealed the government is backing a major new feasibility study into using Housing First, in a win for Inside Housing’s Cathy at 50 campaign.
The communities secretary told Inside Housing the government is looking to “support” a study in Liverpool into making Housing First the default approach to tackling rough sleeping with the Department for Communities and Local Government agreeing to part-fund the project. Mr Javid also said he aims to end rough sleeping, but did not set a timescale, marking the first time this government has set such a goal.
Housing First involves providing individuals with permanent housing, combined with personalised support, rather than the default UK system where people often have to prove they are ‘housing ready’ before accessing stable accommodation.
It has had huge success in countries such as Finland, where it has all but eliminated street-sleeping.
Inside Housing’s Cathy at 50 campaign, launched to mark November’s 50th anniversary of Ken Loach’s landmark film Cathy Come Home, called on the government to commit to end rough sleeping and collect evidence on Housing First and distribute best practice.
The Liverpool study will look at what steps are needed to make Housing First the default approach to tackling rough sleeping in the region, such as how to obtain housing stock and whether the system would focus on long-term rough sleepers.
Matt Downie, director of policy and external affairs at homelessness charity Crisis, which is conducting the study, said Crisis is “looking to provide a template” that other areas thinking of implementing Housing First could use. He said he thinks this is “the first time” a study has sought to examine how systems could be redesigned to facilitate a roll-out. However, it does not represent a commitment to implement Housing First nationally or in the Liverpool region.
Mr Javid confirmed the plans to Inside Housing at an event for the Centre for Social Justice, where the thinktank called for a £110m pot to deliver a national Housing First programme.
Asked to commit to ending rough sleeping - which the current government has not previously done - he said: “My answer is very simple. Yes.”
Sinéad Butters, chair of the Placeshapers group of housing associations, said its members would “want to be involved” in any pilots of Housing First.
