Spring Housing Association has joined 77 other organisations, including Crisis, St Mungo’s and Change Grow Live, in urging new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to take a national Housing First approach to tackling rough sleeping across England.
The Birmingham-based housing association along with other organisations have signed an open letter coordinated by national homelessness charity Homeless Link, calling on the Government to build on the success of Housing First programmes by embedding the approach across national policy.
Housing First is an internationally recognised model that provides people experiencing homelessness with a stable home alongside the personalised, long-term support they need to maintain a tenancy and rebuild their lives.
The joint letter follows the Prime Minister’s commitment to end rough sleeping and calls for a nationwide Housing First philosophy that brings together housing, health, local authorities and support services to create lasting solutions rather than short-term interventions.
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Spring Housing Association works with people experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and multiple challenges across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Through supported accommodation, private rented sector access, tenancy sustainment and tailored support, the organisation helps around 2000 people each year move beyond crisis and homelessness to build stable, independent lives.
Janette Beckett, Chief Executive of Spring Housing Association, said: “We welcome the Government’s ambition to end rough sleeping and are proud to stand alongside organisations from across the homelessness sector in calling for a national Housing First approach.
“Our experience shows that providing someone with a home is only part of the solution. People also need the right support to rebuild their lives, whether that’s help with their mental health, employment, finances or reconnecting with their community.
“Housing First recognises that everyone deserves the security of a stable home first, with support built around their individual needs rather than expecting people to overcome complex challenges before they are offered somewhere to live.
“We know from our work across Birmingham and the West Midlands that lasting change happens when housing providers, local authorities, health services and voluntary organisations work together. A national Housing First approach would build on that principle and give more people the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and stability.”
The letter praises the progress made through Housing First programmes in Greater Manchester and calls on the Government to work with the homelessness sector to develop and deliver a national Housing First approach that helps prevent homelessness and end rough sleeping for good.
