Centre for Homelessness Impact’s Post

Great to see Paula Barker MP discuss the challenges an incoming Labour Government would face on homelessness and rough sleeping in this piece for politics.co.uk: https://lnkd.in/d-j_wYcv. Paula describes how new funds were established under New Labour, such as Supporting People. We have repeatedly called for boosting and ring-fencing funding for housing-related support to ensure spending at least matches the £1.6bn per year allocated to local authorities in England in 2010. The piece also argues for Government to abandon working in traditional departmental silos. Finally, Paula says we need to invest more in homelessness prevention services like our very own Sefton Families Service. To date, it has a 100% success rate and has saved Sefton Council approximately £1.6m in temporary accommodation costs over four years. "If preventative services like this were expanded and rolled out across England and Wales, we could help more households to create a settled family home and save the taxpayers money at the same time." https://lnkd.in/d-j_wYcv

TAKE ACTION: Tell state lawmakers to provide gap funding for homeless services From the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance State lawmakers took action last year to address a shortfall in the document recording fees that fund homelessness services across the state. The money the state collects from fees is still falling behind projections, and it is also more expensive to keep programs running. Almost $70 million dollars is needed in the supplemental budget to prevent a loss of services across the state. If the state doesn’t provide this funding, programs will close, reduce hours, and help fewer people. Too many people are living - and dying - on the streets, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Maintaining current investments in homelessness services must be a top priority for the supplemental budget! https://lnkd.in/gHgwrD5M

An invest-to-save mindset is needed to solve the homelessness crisis. Our executive director of care & support John Glenton has written for Room151 about what central and local government must do to tackle the housing and homelessness crisis. "It is important for central government to understand that under resourced councils closing homelessness services to balance their annual budget is a false economy." "We will ultimately only escape the growing homelessness crisis if we build more social housing." "Spending in the short to medium term will provide a brighter future for people in the long term and save taxpayers money." https://lnkd.in/gVgYD9fi

In the middle of a homelessness crisis, replacing the From Homelessness To A Home program with Homes First will see support drop from 2000 places to just 240 (growing to 500 over three years). We’re going in the wrong direction. In our Budget Submission, CHP has called on the Victorian Government to fund 3,800 places in Housing First programs like H2H. Read CHP's Budget Submission here: - https://lnkd.in/ghg72PU9 And read more about the changes to H2H here: - https://lnkd.in/dbinQuaS - https://lnkd.in/gshhWNQN #endhomelessness #Vicpol #VicBudget #housingfirst

🏡 Did you know that Hampshire County Council are proposing to cut the funding that enabled us to give Terry the support he needed to get back on his feet and start rebuilding his independence? 📊In 2022/23, these services assisted over 900 people facing or at risk of homelessness. Homelessness is complex, with a range of diverse causes, making support services vital 💔Losing these funds could mean being unable to provide a safe haven and supported accommodation to some of the most vulnerable people in your community 🗣️Your voice matters! Speak up against these proposed cuts that could impact Hampshire’s homelessness support services. Your input can make a difference. 🔗Find out more about the proposed cuts here: https://ow.ly/bap250R0YVC 📋Have your say now about these proposed cuts which will affect homelessness support services throughout Hampshire: https://ow.ly/7oh550R0YVG Let’s unite to safeguard the well-being of some of the most vulnerable people in our community and ensure that essential support remains intact. Share this message, participate in the survey and let’s stand together to prevent these cuts. 🤝💙

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass ruling, a decision which effectively criminalizes homelessness, the McGregor Fund stands with leaders and advocates in the fight ahead for our unhoused friends and neighbors.   The City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson decision allows jurisdictions to fine and arrest individuals sleeping in public, even when no designated shelter is available. This decision will place already marginalized populations at greater risk, disproportionately impacting persons of color and exacerbating existing barriers to acquiring permanent housing and other critical supports.   Learn more about the Grants Pass decision and its consequences from our partners:   Funders Together to End Homelessness: https://lnkd.in/ePZa4Y2S   National Alliance to End Homelessness: https://lnkd.in/epXphUWK   CSH, the Source for Housing Solutions: https://lnkd.in/eEGQR2aK   Housing Narrative Lab: https://lnkd.in/emq4E5rg

It feels like I am seeing articles on a weekly basis announcing proposals to cut services that are a life line to those experiencing homelessness. Now here I am posting mine. Please read, share and be curious by clicking the link for more details. Hampshire is yet another area facing ‘difficult decisions’ to meet a financial deficit. The impact of this proposal will be devastating if it goes ahead from March 2025. I am baffled, it feels as a sector we know so much about what interventions can work to end the revolving door of homelessness and ensure clients are receiving the right support at the right time but, as a society we are still getting it so wrong. I wish these services were not needed and that local data evidenced there was enough of the right type of housing to support clients to live independently. But that is not the case, these accommodation based services are still needed by approximately 350 people per year. There is no magic wand that I can see over the next 12 months, the number of people experiencing homelessness is increasing so where will these people turn to for support? Our district and borough housing teams are already dealing with an increasing demand, how can they provide accommodation to this number of people when Homelessness Prevention Grants are being reduced and RSI funding only runs until the very date these services could end?

🏡 Did you know that Hampshire County Council are proposing to cut the funding that enabled us to give Terry the support he needed to get back on his feet and start rebuilding his independence? 📊In 2022/23, these services assisted over 900 people facing or at risk of homelessness. Homelessness is complex, with a range of diverse causes, making support services vital 💔Losing these funds could mean being unable to provide a safe haven and supported accommodation to some of the most vulnerable people in your community 🗣️Your voice matters! Speak up against these proposed cuts that could impact Hampshire’s homelessness support services. Your input can make a difference. 🔗 Find out more about the proposed cuts here: https://ow.ly/ofxZ50QxMfS Have your say now about these proposed cuts which will affect homelessness support services throughout Hampshire: https://lnkd.in/eaGAjdpB Let’s unite to safeguard the well-being of some of the most vulnerable people in our community and ensure that essential support remains intact. Share this message, participate in the survey and let’s stand together to prevent these cuts. 🤝💙

UPDATE 28/02: The total uplift to the Housing Support Grant will now be £13m. ---- We’ve been very clear that housing and homelessness support services are vital, and that their funding needs to be protected. If we are unable to offer support to people when they face a crisis, then we’re getting something wrong as a nation. Today, Welsh Government have announced a £5m increase to the Homelessness Support and Prevention line in the 2024-2025 final budget. Cymorth Cymru reports that this will be allocated to the Housing Support Grant. (Note: see update above.) This will not end pressures on these services, but it is a welcome step, and a signal that Welsh Government recognises the essential nature of this support. There are difficult stories being told by colleagues in these services across Wales; of efforts made and lives positively impacted. We hope they can feel that these are, in some way, being heard. Cymorth continues to campaign for funding to improve further, and we will continue to support these calls. https://lnkd.in/ex-_aTNX 

🏡 Did you know that Hampshire County Council are proposing to cut the funding that enabled us to give John the support he needed to get back on his feet and start rebuilding his independence? 📊In 2022/23, these services assisted over 900 people facing or at risk of homelessness. Homelessness is complex, with a range of diverse causes, making support services vital 💔Losing these funds could mean being unable to provide a safe haven and supported accommodation to some of the most vulnerable people in our community 🗣️Your voice matters! Speak up against these proposed cuts that could impact Hampshire’s homelessness support services. Your input can make a difference. 🔗 Find out more about the proposed cuts here: https://ow.ly/Kcr550QtxNp 📋Have your say now about these proposed cuts which will affect homelessness support services throughout Hampshire: https://ow.ly/qA6F50QtxNx Let’s unite to safeguard the well-being of some of the most vulnerable people in our community and ensure that essential support remains intact. Share this message, participate in the survey and let’s stand together to prevent these cuts. 🤝💙