Homelessness prevention could be ‘achievable’ for the most
high-risk groups; care leavers, prison leavers and survivors of
domestic abuse within the next Parliament, according to an
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness (APPGEH)
report, launched today in Parliament.
The APPGEH, set up with the support of Crisis, the national
charity for homeless people, is now urging the Government to
recognise the growing emergency of homelessness and establish a
joined up, cross-government strategy to specifically tackle
homelessness prevention among the identified groups.
Crucially, the report finds that with so many of these people
already on the radar of police, local authorities, prisons and
social services, it is ‘inexcusable’ that they should fall
through the net, yet they continue to do so:
- · One
third of care leavers become homeless in the first two years
immediately after they leave care and 25% of all homeless people
have been in care at some point in their lives
- · In
2016, 90% of women in refuges were reported to have housing needs
and in 2015/16, 6,550 people became homeless because of a violent
relationship breakdown, accounting for 11% of all homeless
acceptances. In 2015, 35% of female rough sleepers left their
homes due to domestic violence
- · In
2014, 20% of prisoners said they had no accommodation to go to on
release and there are many barriers which can make finding
accommodation on release difficult
The report, resulting from a year of research and consultation
with experts and those with lived experience of homelessness,
recommends government departments work in partnership to audit
existing policies and design programmes to specifically support
care leavers, prison leavers and survivors of domestic violence.
As the Government has committed to putting prevention at the
heart of its future working, with the Homelessness Reduction Act
and a manifesto commitment to launch a Homelessness Reduction
Taskforce, the report says there is an opportunity to bring
together national policies and local frontline work to prevent
and end homelessness for these cohorts for good.
MP and joint co-chair of the
APPGEH said:
“A local authority should know exactly when a care leaver or
prison leaver is making the transition from institutional life to
independence and should be ready and prepared to step in at that
stage. Similarly, survivors of domestic violence should be given
a crime reference number as soon as they make a domestic violence
report to the police.
“However, many survivors feel unable or too afraid to even report
abuse to the police in the first place. Time and again these
people are getting lost despite, in many cases, receiving
assistance from public bodies which should be a trigger to
prevent their homelessness. Homelessness prevention for these
groups is an achievable goal.”
, MP and joint co-chair of the
APPGEH, said:
“The APPGEH championed the recently passed Homelessness Reduction
Act but more must be done and more resources made
available. This report demonstrates that with focused and
evidence-based interventions there is nothing inevitable about
homelessness for care leavers, prison leavers and survivors of
domestic violence. It also gives government and other decision
makers carefully thought through recommendations for action.”
