Housing First approach needs cross-sector working to become effective

Professionals at the Housing First Conference agreed the approach goes beyond addressing rough sleeping. Experts are now calling for it to be rolled out nationwide with sustainable funding and backing from multiple sectors.  

Towards the beginning of this month Homeless Link, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Housing First welcomed over 400 people to a conference held in the city. Here, experts from the housing, health and criminal justice system discussed the future of Housing First, an organisation working to end homelessness through housing and support provision.

Rick Henderson, Homeless Link CEO, said the approach is about ‘much more’ than homelessness. He said ‘It is a disruptive, whole system approach. Everybody had a part to play in this.’

Since the launch of Housing First, which was in 2019, almost 375 people with entrenched experiences of rough sleeping have been supported into safe accommodation, with more than three quarters of those people sustaining their tenancies. 

The achievements seem to be no less than extraordinary. As it stands, the government have been attempting to tackle the current homelessness crisis, which has been made worse since the beginning of the cost-of-living crisis, but have failed to provide any sufficient support. In London, 10,053 rough sleepers were spotted on the streets between April 2022 and March 2023, according to the London-only Combined Homelessness and Information Network figures. 

At the conference, the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham said the government should make Housing First not a project but a philosophy, with the right to decent housing enshrined in law.  

Key findings, which were highlighted at the Manchester event, of Housing First’s achievements include: 

• Residents experiencing a reduction in their overall physical health issues, with 31% improving by the end of their first year of Housing First and 39% improving by the end of their third year
• An increase in engagement with GP services from the point of entry where only 50% were registered with a GP, to 81% engaging with a GP by the end of their first year and 89% by the end of their third year
• A decrease in the use of A&E which, not only eliminates pressures from hospital staff, but shows those who have sought help through Housing First are making more permanent health-related decisions
• An increase in communication with mental health services between the point of entry until the end of the first year (23% up to 39%)
• Decreases in offending behaviour from 84% at the point of entry to 45% at the end of their third year
• A reduction in substance misuse of 22% between the point of entry and the end of the third year and a corresponding increase in engagement with drug and alcohol services

However, although Housing First have made some remarkable achievements in helping to tackle the growing homelessness problem, experts have stated the approach needs to call for greater joint working so the scheme can be spread outside of Manchester.

Image: Huzaifa Ginwala

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