Today our CEO Emma Haddad spoke at the Homeless Link Leadership Summit, under the theme of “Building Hope”. Her speech focused on new and collaborative ways of working with Government, and the issue of funding and where it could be used for the most impact.
While the number of people experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping are on the rise, there are still reasons to be hopeful. Our frontline teams at St Mungo’s continue to rise to the challenge, with outreach teams supporting over 9,000 people sleeping rough in the last year, and our services working with over 23,000 people experiencing – or at risk of – homelessness.
Additionally, we have seen a willingness in the Government to work with the sector to address key challenges, including the set up of an interministerial group for homelessness to ensure joined-up working, and an expert group to bring in voices from across the sector and inform policy changes. In addition, the Autumn Budget included £230m of funding for local authorities to fund homelessness services.
With this optimism in mind, there is much more work to be done. St Mungo’s has outlined six key policy asks to the Government to address the current homelessness emergency through extending Rough Sleeping Initiative Funding, build preventative measures such as the Renters Reform bill and extensions to Home Office accommodation, support recovery through the welfare system and meeting healthcare needs, and look towards long-term solutions including affordable social housing.
Speaking at the summit, Emma said: “I end the year hopeful, hoping and inspired by hope. Hopeful of the early signs of a new partnership with government. Hoping that as a sector we use this moment to strengthen collaboration and impact. And inspired by hope and admiration for the thousands of people who, in the face of adversity, find their way out of homelessness for good.”
To read more about our asks to the Government, click here.
To support our critical work on the frontline of the homelessness crisis, click here.
