Homeless people with complex needs: reflections on the challenges presented by 'Housing First' and other innovative housing models
Lead Research Organisation:
University of York
Department Name: Centre for Housing Policy
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Sarah Johnsen (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Johnsen S
(2012)
'Doing it Already?': Stakeholder Perceptions of Housing First in the UK
in International Journal of Housing Policy
Johnsen, S.
(2012)
Shifting the balance of the Housing First debate
in European Journal of Homelessness
Johnsen, S.
(2010)
'Housing First': Challenging the status quo?
| Description | This research examined the evidence base regarding the effectiveness of 'orthodox' and 'innovative' models of housing for homeless people with complex support needs. Key findings included: - The prevailing approach to housing homeless people in the US, Europe and Australia can be described as 'linear' in nature. This essentially involves 'progressing' homeless people through a series of separate residential services. - It is founded on a 'treatment first' philosophy, with homeless people typically only placed into 'normal' housing when they exhibit evidence of 'housing readiness' (e.g., basic living skills, sobriety, commitment to engage in treatment). - Linear models have been criticised in some contexts because of their high attrition rates (i.e., the loss of clients between stages) and emerging evidence of much better housing outcomes associated with an alternative, 'housing first', model. - The Housing First model bypasses transitional accommodation by placing the most vulnerable homeless people directly from the street into independent tenancies with tailored support, without insisting that they engage in treatment. - Housing First projects tend to report better housing retention than linear programmes. Evaluations in the US indicate that 80% of chronically homeless Housing First clients sustained housing over a two year period, for example. - Such outcomes fundamentally challenge widespread assumptions that chronically homeless people with co-occurring mental health problems and/or substance dependencies are incapable of maintaining an independent tenancy. - In the UK, the linear model is implemented more flexibly than elsewhere, but a 'treatment first' philosophy still prevails - with most support agencies requiring evidence of 'housing readiness' before placing clients into independent settled accommodation. - The view that existing hostels do not necessarily 'work' for this group is increasingly common in the UK. Some recent developments have elements of 'Housing First-ness' about them, but these are outnumbered by new specialist transitional housing schemes. - Some stakeholders doubt that Housing First outcomes reported in the US would be reproduced to the same extent in the UK, but most believe the model would be a valuable complement to existing provision, especially for the 'hardest to reach' and most 'service resistant' rough sleepers. - The 2012 target to end rough sleeping in London, and similar albeit less formalised ambitions to reduce street homelessness elsewhere, represent key windows of opportunity for innovation in the development of effective solutions for this highly vulnerable group. - Going forward, there is a clear need for further research with respect to the effectiveness of different interventions for homeless people with complex support needs. |
| Exploitation Route | tbc |
| Sectors | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | The study inspired debate amongst UK policy-makers and practitioners about the potential transferability of Housing First from its 'home' context of the USA to the UK. The PI was subsequently invited to lead the evaluation of the first Housing First pilot project developed in the UK. On the back of this she was invited to be involved in the European-Commission funded 'Housing First Europe' social experimentation project which drew together lessons learned form Housing First pilot projects in 10 European countries. The project and spin-offs from this have subsequently fed into debates regarding the implementation of Housing First in England, Scotland, and Wales. |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | Communities and Local Governemnt Select Committee oral witness |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Oral evidence at the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee Homelessness Inquiry, 6/6/16 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-go... |
| Description | Crisis report launch presentation, London, August 2010 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| URL | http://www.crisis.org.uk/news.php?id=118 |
| Description | Invited paper at European Congress for Social Psychiatry, Geneva, May 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited speaker at workshop on 'Housing First', contributing to conversations about how the model might most appropriately be implemented in Switzerland and other European nations |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited presentation at the 'Innovations in Housing and Homelessness Policy: What could Housing First offer the UK?' roundtable event, hosted by Natcen and Homeless Link, London, September 2011 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Invited presentation to Department of Communities and Local Government |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Invited presentation to the Scottish Housing Best Value Network, Dumbarton, February 2012 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Invited presentation to the Welsh Local Authority Homelessness Network |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Plenary presentation at the Cymorth Cymru and Shelter Cymru conference, Swansea, June 2011 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Plenary presentation at the Glasgow Homelessness Network annual conference, Glasgow, October 2011 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Presentation at Homeless Link's 'Housing First England' national launch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation titled 'The evidence base for Housing First' at 'Housing First: from principles to practice' event hosted by Homeless Link as part of the Housing First England project, London |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |