Ending homelessness takes more than an instruction
‘I will go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction: to end rough sleeping in our country’.
So said Andy Burnham, our new Prime Minister, standing on the steps of No. 10 Downing Street.
As a father to a 10- and 12-year-old, I’ve found that an instruction alone is never enough to get something done (despite my best efforts!). I presume it’s the same in Government: when it comes to complex issues such as homelessness and health disadvantage, instructions are only the first step.
Leadership, vision, clarity, commitment – and yes, instruction – are the foundation for success. But if our new Prime Minister is serious about ending homelessness, it’ll take much more than that. At Framework, we’ve spent 25 years working alongside people experiencing homelessness and related disadvantage. Here’s what we’ve learned about what works.
1. It starts with more affordable homes
That’s why success cannot be measured simply by the number of people housed. It must be measured by the number of people who sustain their housing, improve their wellbeing and build lives beyond homelessness.
While the causes of homelessness are complex, it does start with more affordable homes. Andy Burnham is right – we must build more, and fast. Council housing, homes for sale and social housing delivered by not-for-profit housing associations (like Framework) all have a role to play.
Not everyone we support is homeless because there aren’t enough homes. But how can we expect people to recover, move forward, and contribute to society if they don’t have somewhere decent and affordable to live?
2. Supported accommodation and sustained recovery matter
Burnham’s ‘national Housing First philosophy’ is a great starting point. A safe home should not be a ‘reward’ for overcoming disadvantage. But we must recognise that housing alone will not be enough for everyone – for many people it is only the beginning. Most people who have experienced homelessness, and particularly rough sleeping, benefit from a period of supported accommodation to help them recover and move towards independence.
Our research with Imogen Blood on executive function in homelessness services highlighted why housing alone is not always enough. Many people experiencing homelessness are living with a combination of mental ill-health, substance use, trauma, neurodiversity, acquired brain injury or other health conditions. They can appear capable of independent living while finding the day-to-day realities of managing a tenancy overwhelming.
3. Prevention is the most effective solution
It sounds blunt, but Andy is right when he talks about building a more preventative state and investing in people’s success rather than “paying for failure”.
Once someone becomes homeless, physical and mental health often deteriorate, relationships break down and employment becomes harder to sustain. The personal and financial costs escalate quickly.
That’s why preventing homelessness in the first place is so important. Early intervention and support is not only more cost-effective for the taxpayer, it’s also far more likely to help people live healthy, independent lives.
4. Cross-government policy matters
Homelessness doesn’t sit neatly within one Government department, so it cannot be solved by one department acting alone. Housing shortages, poor health, addiction, poverty, unemployment and involvement with the criminal justice system are all interconnected drivers of homelessness.
Too often, these issues are addressed through separate funding streams, targets and policy priorities. But people don’t experience their lives in departmental silos. Success depends on housing, health, social care, welfare, employment and recovery services working together around people’s needs rather than expecting people to navigate fragmented systems.
We also need to listen to people with lived experience and invest in the skilled, compassionate workforce that supports them every day. Lasting change is built through relationships and trust as much as policy.
This is an opportunity we cannot miss.
For too long, homelessness has been treated as a symptom of other challenges rather than a national mission in its own right. The Prime Minister’s commitment creates a genuine opportunity. It will require sustained leadership, evidence-led policy and long-term investment. But if we get those things right, ending homelessness is not simply an aspiration – it is an achievable national goal.