Homeless Link carry out an annual review on the state of the homelessness support sector. The full report is here. It covers 2023, published late 2024.
Rusel’s been reading it: his short conclusion: it’s interesting but unpleasant reading. And our sense is that things have only got worse since 2023.
Demand Continues To Increase
Demand for support has been growing rapidly; but supply decreasing. There’s been a 30% reduction in bed spaces over last 10 years and shelters are now often turning people away.
But Finances Are Ever Harder
The funding picture is evolving but remains very difficult. Housing Benefit still main source of income; but overall there’s been a 17% reduction in Local Authority funding as Authorities are retaining some in order to fund their internal services. So third sector services are relying more on voluntary income, and at the same time cutting service provision levels.
There’s some concern that moving administration of Housing Benefit to the DWP, away from Local Authorities will cause further problems. The DWP have intimated that parts of Housing Benefit may be ringfenced for particular support e.g. mental health – reducing what’s available for actual housing. The DWP is also not well set up to pay benefits daily, as Housing Benefit is in these circumstances. Economic difficulties ahead and reported continuation of austerity does not bode well.
While Support Needs Remain, Support Is Harder to Find
Day Centres are seeing more people who are experiencing homelessness for the first time. They are also seeing a big increase of people with no recourse to public funds.
Mental health is still the biggest support need, along with substance misuse and addiction. But the well-publicised lack of mental and physical health support makes finding support problematic. Services are also finding it ever harder to access support for those in the asylum process.
And moving out of temporary accommodation is taking ever longer. People are now spending between 6 months and a year in temporary accommodation. This is put down to the private rental market reducing in size (and so increasing in cost); and the lack of social housing.
Photo by rh2010
