‘Housing First’ game-changer for homelessness

‘Housing First’ is shown to be cheaper and more effective than the current approach to long-term homelessness, a new report finds.

Crisis and the Metro Mayor for Liverpool City Region are asking for local and national policymakers to consider a new approach to homelessness that a major study of Liverpool City Region has found cheaper and more effective than the current approach.

The report shows that ‘Housing First’ focuses on supporting long-term rough sleepers into a home of their own as quickly as possible and providing personalised visiting support. It could be more than five times as effective and nearly five times more cost effective than existing services for this group.

Using the ‘Housing First’ scheme could potentially save Liverpool City Region between £1.18 million and £4.02 million per year by 2023/24.

Commissioned by Crisis and supported by the UK Government and the Housing First Europe Hub, the report draws on existing evidence as well as new statistics and interviews to consider the potential costs and benefits of rolling out ‘Housing First’ across the Liverpool City Region.

The report shows that the current system is failing some of the most vulnerable homeless people, and found that in some cases some people in the Liverpool City Region had had as many as ten hostel placements in the past four years.

‘Housing First’ aims to give people stability and security in a home of their own, and to build personalised support for them.

Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said: “This study demonstrates the potential of Housing First to end rough sleeping for people with the most complex needs and will provide valuable evidence for consideration by our new Homelessness Reduction Task Force. Its publication underlines the importance of our manifesto commitment to pilot a Housing First approach and implement the Homelessness Reduction Act.”

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor for Liverpool City Region, said: “I’m delighted to support Crisis in the launch of this important report. This is an issue of deep concern to me and to people across the Liverpool City Region. I recognise the enormously valuable work being done by agencies who are trying to tackle this issue, but as this report makes clear, there are limitations to the current system which mean that all too often the most vulnerable rough sleepers are falling through the cracks.”

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “This report could have wide ranging consequences for the way we tackle homelessness in Liverpool City Region and across the UK. The evidence is clear: for the most vulnerable rough sleepers, the best approach is to support people into a stable home of their own as soon as possible and shape personalised support around them. It sounds obvious, but for these people, the stability and security of their own front door can be a life changing first step towards recovery. It’s about treating people with dignity and respect, and offering them some sense of control over their lives.”