The government has announced a rapid rehousing response pilot, as part of the National Rough Sleeper Strategy (17 October 2018).
St Mungo’s currently provides a number of innovative, successful services similar to those outlined in the Rapid Rehousing Pathway Prospectus.
For more information on any of the following services please contact Dan Olney, Services Director (National Rough Sleeper Initiative) at dan.olney@mungos.org.
Rapid assessment, triage and move on services for people sleeping rough
Somewhere Safe to Stay (SStS)
In London, we manage No Second Night Out assessment hubs, in conjunction with the London Mayor’s task force. No Second Night Out provides a rapid response to people sleeping rough for the first time. Through a triage process, our staff, together with clients quickly carry out a thorough assessment of their situation to create a personalised housing plan, access the support they are entitled to, and ensure they do not have to sleep rough for a second night. These are similar to the Somewhere Safe to Stay models.
No Second Night Out hubs are “sit up” services. These means they offer a safe place for clients to stay for up to 72 hours while the team works with them to understand their needs and how to help them move away from rough sleeping.
Our West London Rough Sleeper Prevention Service is also very similar to Somewhere Safe to Stay. The team offer a safe place for people referred via Housing Options. They conduct a triage assessment to establish if someone is imminently at risk of rough sleeping and offer a safe place to stay if they are. From there they will formulate a personalised housing plan to alleviate that person’s risk of rough sleeping.
Local lettings agencies and the Move On fund
Real Lettings, run by St Mungo’s, works in partnership with social impact investment company, Resonance, which manages three property funds. These funds buy affordable housing which is then rented out to people who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness. Real Lettings guarantees the rent whilst also providing light touch support so that people can maintain their tenancies, build a tenancy history and move towards employment, stability and independence. The property funds have to date provided more than 600 homes nationwide to over 1,500 people.
Rough sleeping navigators and supported lettings
St Mungo’s currently runs three social impact bonds aimed at helping people who have been homeless and slept rough for prolonged periods. Staff work in a similar way to navigators, supporting clients from their first contact with them, right through to when they are settled in accommodation and beyond. They provide tailored support and work creatively and intensively with clients so they can leave homelessness behind for good.
Our Tenancy Sustainment Team (TST) North, commissioned by the Greater London Authority, works across 16 London boroughs to provide floating support to around 850 people with a history of sleeping rough to stay in their home, improve their health, and get access to education, training, and employment. This service, much like supported lettings, takes a personalised approach. Last year 97% of the people we worked with sustained their tenancies.
Housing First
The Housing First model helps people who are living on the streets, or who are caught up in a cycle of hostels, sofa surfing, prisons or hospital, into their own permanent accommodation. People are supported with personal budgets and help around reducing drug and alcohol use and addressing mental health problems.
St Mungo’s has been at the forefront of designing, implementing and running Housing First projects in the UK. We are one of the largest providers of Housing First services in England, currently supporting over 100 clients in 11 different locations.
