In his first speech as Prime Minister in July, Andy Burnham stated that homelessness would be one of his top priorities in his new role. We’ve now seen a number of governments try to tackle homelessness, with some strategies more successful than others.
What we’ve learned from our experience is that preventative action is going to be the way we end homelessness for good.
What does that look like?
The current state of preventative action in England
Much of the homelessness support we see is in response to people in crisis. But what if there was a way to prevent the crisis in the first place? Because short-term responses aren’t conducive to long-term success. If your house is letting water in, you need to address the source of the leak, not just keep removing the water.
In 2024, Homeless Link, Cardiff University, Heriot-Watt University and the National Lottery published their ‘Prevention Into Action Report’, looking at the current state of preventative measures in England. It was clear then that we’re still a way off from stopping homelessness in its tracks.
“Our study shows an inadequate approach towards homelessness prevention across England. A lack of early intervention has perpetuated a cycle of crisis, with devastating effects on individuals, families and communities. There is an urgent need to prioritise upstream prevention, ensuring that vulnerable groups are supported before they become homeless.”
- Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Director of Heriot-Watt University’s Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research (I-SPHERE)
Multiple things stand out in the report.
Firstly, the financial difficulties faced by many local authorities. This means that many services are running on minimal staff or being closed down altogether. Authorities are having to make huge investments in crisis management, at the expense of preventative initiatives (which also often take time to show impact on a balance sheet).
Here in Yorkshire, we’ve seen many excellent preventative services forced to shut their doors over the last decade, causing a bottleneck for support services like ours. Because homelessness isn’t slowing down. In fact, it’s only growing. And there simply aren’t enough support or preventive services to meet the demand.
Secondly, the report highlighted a ‘lack of coordination and inter-sectoral partnership’ when it comes to homelessness. This is something that’s been echoed to us by the people we support. Every time they engage with a service, they’re having to re-live their trauma, ultimately starting from scratch. You can imagine how frustrating and upsetting this can be for people trying to access support.
The report calls for ‘public services other than local authority housing teams to play a far more active role in identifying and supporting people at risk of homelessness, so that prevention is embedded into their ways of working.’
What does preventative action look like?
We’ve been working with people experiencing homelessness for over 25 years. Through them, we’ve got some ideas about what successful preventative action could look like.
Consult those with lived experience
No one knows how it feels to experience homelessness more than someone who’s lived it. They can give insights into what events led them there, and what could have or would have helped if early intervention had been there.
We’d encourage local authorities and governments to develop lived-experience partnerships to shape their preventative action plans.
Prioritise investments into early intervention
We recognise how challenging it is to address immediate needs with these early interventions, but it can’t wait any longer. The current system of fire-fighting is simply not sustainable. Local authorities need to find a way to identify and support ‘at-risk’ groups early on before issues escalate.
It costs much less to keep an individual from experiencing homelessness in the first place than getting them out of the cycle once they’re in it.
Adopt a ‘universal prevention’ mindset
‘Universal prevention’ means strategies and interventions that are put in place because there is evidence that everyone stands to benefit.
In this context, we mean things like good incomes that cover all basic needs, affordable and secure housing, and equal access to good-quality healthcare, education and training. These measures can both prevent people from falling into homelessness and make life better for everyone.
Long-term support for people experiencing homelessness
We’re still a long way off adjusting the balance of preventative action and crisis management. In the meantime, Simon on the Streets will continue to provide long-term support to people experiencing homelessness in Leeds. We feel hopeful about Andy Burnham’s plans. But as always, the real proof will be in action.
While we appreciate that finding someone a room for the night can get them out of immediate danger, we know that for someone to create a long-term brighter future, support has to run deeper than that.
It’s about getting them the right help for their individual challenges. It’s about making sure they know someone’s in their corner. It’s about advocating for them while they navigate complicated systems and processes.
That’s why we’re there for someone for life. Because we know breaking the cycle of homelessness is a hard and not always linear process. Whether it takes someone one attempt or ten, we’ll always be there to support them.
Simon on the Streets will be here until we’re no longer needed; when no one in the UK is facing homelessness or rough sleeping.
Simon on the Streets receives no official government funding. It’s your donations and fundraising that keep our charity alive.
Please donate or take part in a fundraising event. While the community still needs us, we still need you.