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Welsh housing sector bodies publish revised Housing First principles
Cymorth Cymru and the Housing First Wales Network have released revised national principles for the Housing First service.
The most prominent change is a switch in focus from rough sleeping to providing the service to “people who need it the most”.
This includes people who have experienced repeat homelessness and have experience of trauma, mental health issues or engagement with the criminal justice system, the housing sector organisations said.
The other principles remain broadly the same, such as offering flexible support for as long as it is needed, the separation of housing management and support, and giving people choice and control over where they live.
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Developed in New York in the 1990s, the Housing First approach aims to quickly house people experiencing homelessness while providing support for as long as it is needed.
Cymorth Cymru is the umbrella body for providers of homelessness services, housing-related support and social care services in Wales.
Alex Osmond, Housing First and lived experience manager at Cymorth Cymru, said in a blog post that the review was sparked by an awareness that the focus on rough sleeping could overlook “people who might benefit from Housing First”.
He gave the examples that women are less likely to sleep rough and that rough sleeping numbers vary in different parts of Wales.
The Housing First Network agreed to review the principles in 2023. It established a task and finish group to scrutinise them and engaged with people who have used Housing First.
A ‘discussion, context and good practice’ document noted that “defining for whom the Housing First model works most effectively is difficult”.
While the original principles focused on “rough sleeping as a criterion for accessing housing and support via the model”, the document said that there has since been “a recognition that some locations have a lower prevalence of rough sleeping”.
It said: “Additionally, chronic rough sleeping tends to be experienced more by men than women, who are more likely to sofa surf or stay with acquaintances.
“It is vital that Housing First providers do not overlook or ignore such cases because rough sleeping isn’t necessarily a large part of a person’s history.”
“The changes we’ve made to the principles don’t come out of any sense that rough sleeping isn’t an issue across Wales,” added Mr Osmond.
He said: “It is widely acknowledged that fidelity to the principles is key to the model’s success, and we hope these documents help services across Wales to achieve the best possible outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.”
The new principles will take effect immediately and have been developed in conjunction with Housing First providers throughout Wales.
The Welsh government announced £700,000 in Housing First funding back in 2018.
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