Social landlords, local authorities and homelessness sector call for Housing First tenancies to be scaled up in period following coronavirus lockdown

Organisations call on government to provide funding for 16,500 Housing First tenancies in England and ensure that there is an adequate supply of suitable homes

A group of 12 organisations representing social landlords, local authorities and the homelessness sector have called for Housing First tenancies - under which vulnerable homeless people are provided with permanent accommodation alongside intensive personalised support - to be scaled up in the period following the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.

In a joint statement from the Housing First England Housing Advisory Group, the organisations - that include Homeless Link, Crisis, the National Housing Federation, the Chartered Institute of Housing, and the National Federation of ALMOs - welcome the government’s recent commitments to providing safe housing for those who have been residing in emergency accommodation during the coronavirus pandemic, including the pledge to roll-out 6,000 supported move-on units.

However, the organisations go on to say that a longer-term cross-departmental investment in support is needed in the period following lockdown, and they call on the government to -

• commit to long-term funding for the support services needed to enable 16,500 Housing First tenancies in England over the current government term, alongside a broader commitment to funding floating support for those who are at risk of homelessness already living in tenancies; and
• ensure there is a supply of suitable homes to meet the scale of need for Housing First and wider housing-led provision, including by exploring options for tenure conversion and market acquisition of one-bed social rent homes, improving access to the private rented sector by making additional funding available to local authorities, implementing a national rent deposit guaranteed scheme, and making essential reforms to the welfare system.

In addition, the statement calls on all social housing providers to support the expansion of Housing First by -

• working with commissioners through housing and homelessness partnerships to understand the scale of need locally and agree an allocation of tenancies for commissioned Housing First services;
• making the case for a long-term funding framework for sustainable support provision;
• working jointly between local authorities and housing associations to increase flexibility in allocations practices outside of usual procedures and using a person-centred approach; and
• adopting and sharing learning and positive practice on the delivery of homes for Housing First.

For more information, see Social landlords join sector call for scale-up of Housing First in England from homeless.org.uk