We must not let fatalism set in
Rory Weal, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer at St Mungo’s, explains why we’re calling on Government to enact urgent measures to stop the scandal of people dying on the streets One week ago marked the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster. It was a time to reflect not only on the lives that were lost on that day, but also on how we all respond when faced with a human disaster on that scale. This week St Mungo’s has been highlighting another human disaster: the rising number of people dying on the streets. It is less visible, more dispersed and slower moving. But it is a disaster nonetheless, when so many people are dying in circumstances that are preventable and shockingly premature. Data suggests that, in London, someone dies on the streets every fortnight. In the rest of the UK, as many as two people are now dying every week, a rate twice as high as five years ago. The average age of someone who dies sleeping rough is 47 for a man and just 43 for a woman. What is worse is that these figures are likely to be an underestimate, given that recording deaths is infrequent and not done systematically. Our new report Dying on the Streets: the case for moving quickly to end rough sleeping looks into these figures in more detail. We found that mental health support needs among people who have died has increased dramatically, from 29% in 2010 to 80% last year. To find out more about what is going on the ground, we also carried out a national survey of street outreach services earlier this year. The picture that emerged is one in which the number of rough sleepers is growing, at the same time as access to vital service is getting harder. This is creating a perfect storm to which the most vulnerable homeless people are falling victims. Some of the findings were shocking. 70% of respondents said access to mental health services for people sleeping rough had got harder compared to five years ago, and 64% said this was true for emergency accommodation. The majority of respondents had experienced a death in their area, but only one-quarter of those had any experience of a review being carried out. In short: there is less help available, people are dying, and these deaths are going ignored. But statistics don’t capture the most tragic consequence: the sense of acceptance and inevitability which increasingly meets the death of someone sleeping rough. As such tragedies become more commonplace, we come to expect, and sadly, accept them. We must not let fatalism set in. Dying on the streets should be unthinkable. It is certainly preventable. There are ways to stop this scandal from continuing, but only if the determination and political will is there. To achieve that end, earlier this week we held a roundtable discussion in Parliament. This was attended by the Minister for Mental Health, MPs, and experts in the field, who all recognised the gravity of the issue and resolved to stop the scandal of deaths on the streets. With the Government’s rough sleeping strategy due for publication next month, now is the time to turn those warm words into firm action. We are calling for a package of measures to ensure rapid relief from rough sleeping, to get people off the streets and prevent future deaths. This includes access to specialist mental health services, an expansion of emergency accommodation, and full reviews to learn the lessons from every single death that occurs on our streets. Without such interventions, I fear current trends will worsen, lives will be cut short, and our claims to being a compassionate society will be left in tatters. We hope the Government uses its upcoming rough sleeping strategy to avoid this fate. The price of failure is too high.
Twenty vibrant years at St Mungo’s
“The enjoyment of it has kept me going for 20 years. It’s a great pleasure. It’s all the people that I meet and talk to, and the work that I see.” As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week, Jen Burnham, St Mungo’s Creative Arts Volunteer, tells us about what she’s learned through volunteering. I’ve been a volunteer at St Mungo’s for 20 years. I was one of the first volunteers on a programme called ‘Make It Work’ which I think was the beginning of a formal volunteering programme at St Mungo’s. Now I understand it has something like 900 volunteers a year! I’m almost 75 years old now. I’ve always had an interest in art but I never did much with it. In 1998, I was at a dead end in my life and I decided to do some art-related volunteering, including an art group at St Mungo’s in Argyle Street, King’s Cross. I was made very welcome there. A few years later a member of St Mungo’s literacy team produced a booklet of poems by Argyle Street residents and asked if we had some artwork that could be included. The resulting booklet was much admired and one resident Joe asked, ‘why don’t we do this on a regular basis?’ That was the beginning of Homeless Diamonds magazine. It started as a photocopied A5 booklet for art and writing from the King’s Cross area; it’s now a glossy A4 magazine for all of St Mungo’s and a bit beyond (thanks to support from Regional Director David Devoy, who from the start has supported the project). We produce three editions of Homeless Diamonds per year, each containing the work submitted since the previous issue – no more and no less. Everyone who submits will have something printed. On the suggestion of contributors we have recently set themes for particular editions, but always maintain this submission policy. Producing Homeless Diamonds is a big, varied job; the hardest (and most rewarding) bit is gaining contacts with residents throughout St Mungo’s and encouraging them to contribute. We are very lucky to have our volunteer designer, Gasan, who has designed most of our editions. When all is gathered, typed, corrected, photographed and laid out for the printers we can look forward to celebrating with a little launch party; then the task is to get our 350 copies distributed, to all the contributors and to as many residents of St Mungo’s as we can, It’s clear that contributors value the magazine, and that it gives them a great boost to see their work printed in a quality publication. It’s a wonderful way to communicate across boundaries, at a more personal level. The enjoyment of it has kept me going for 20 years. It’s nice to see contributors as they progress in various ways (including working at St Mungo’s) – many have told us how much their engagement with the magazine has helped them. There is a huge pool of experience, and talent, at St Mungo’s, a resource of great value to society. Volunteering has helped me a lot. I had lost confidence in myself when I started, and it gave me an experience of being valued that I really needed. And I stumbled upon such interesting people, such remarkable characters! So the feeling was mutual! I hope Homeless Diamonds will continue, perhaps as part of St Mungo’s Recovery College, when I get too dotty to carry on. If you have some spare time and would like to make a difference to someone who is experiencing homelessness or a decline in mental health please visit St Mungo’s current volunteering opportunities. You can also email: VolunteerServices@mungos.org or call 020 3856 6160 for more information.
“There are no words”
Tracey Jacob, St Mungo’s Housing Management and Lettings Coordinator, based in Westminster, shares her experience of working with people who are homeless and near the end of life. When a person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, there are no words that can describe the emotions or feelings. When a client has no family, or has not been in contact with them, or wishes for them not to be informed of their illness. When a client makes a decision that he does not want to go to hospital or a hospice but wants to stay at home. This is when you realise they may see you as their family. Over the years, I have known and supported people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. There are guidelines, other colleagues, to help support and direct us as staff in that situation. But it’s those words – “I want my keyworker” – which cannot be substituted. With one of my clients, I had to start a conversation with him about being resuscitated. I didn’t know how. I called his GP who arrived the same evening to ask the questions and do the paperwork. I had to fight back the tears as I did not want the client to see me crying. The GP had a one to one with me after the meeting as well, to debrief me and make sure I was OK. These are the situations that don’t get seen, or talked about. On another occasion, I had to go through my client’s clothes to take some to the funeral parlour, wiping away the tears as I have never dressed a person who had passed away. My thoughts were, I want the client to look lovely, hoping that I chose a good outfit. I was given a cup of tea and they explained that I was not expected to do this, they would do it. These are the things that don’t get seen, or talked about. I have worked for St Mungo’s for many years. Any death is difficult. I have learnt that it’s ok to say “I need help and support” and to step back, take a few minutes to regroup your thoughts. For me, I take away that the person was not alone and I did the best I could do. It was Dying Matters last week . Please see our other blog by St Mungo’s Palliative Care Coordinator, Niamh Brophy, on the work being done to prevent people who are homeless dying on the streets.
Hope from terrible tragedies
Niamh Brophy is St Mungo’s Palliative Care Coordinator. We are the only homeless organisation to have such a person, supporting both clients and staff with ‘end of life’ experiences. For most of us, I hope Dying Matters Week is an opportunity to talk to our loved ones about death and the things that feel important to us: where we’d like to be cared for (for most of us it would be at ‘home’), and how we’d like to be remembered by our loved ones. But what if you don’t have a home? And what if you don’t have a family or support network to have these conversations with? This is the reality for the rising numbers of people experiencing homelessness. For many, their death will go ignored, not given the dignity or respect they are due, and with little planning given to their end of life wishes or preferences. This year’s Dying Matters Week (14-20 May) comes at a particularly poignant time. Recently, news that the number of deaths of people sleeping rough has more than doubled in the past five years shocked the public. These are individuals dying in car parks, on street corners and park benches, with no one around to support them as their lives draw to a close. This is desperately sad, and something most of us would think completely unacceptable in our society today. But from these terrible tragedies has sprung some hope. Campaigns have been launched to address and prevent these deaths from happening in future such as the #makethemcount campaign. Ed Davey MP has also proposed a new Homelessness End of Life Care Bill that aims to ensure people do not die homeless and alone on the streets, but have access to care and accommodation for the end of their life. At St Mungo’s we contributed to both of these initiatives. But more work is needed to ensure people get access to the care they need. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to ensure a review is carried out every time someone dies on the street, as part of their new rough sleeping strategy. This would ensure deaths no longer go ignored, and that lessons can be learnt to ensure such tragedies are not repeated. St Mungo’s were also involved in research published last year that explored the unique challenges in providing end of life care to people in hostels. What emerged was a picture of great complexity, but also plenty of opportunity to improve the experience of residents and staff when faced with such difficult situations. It’s now a decade since St Mungo’s first acknowledged the importance of providing end of life care to people who are homeless by establishing a Palliative Care role. In response to the increase in need of our residents, and the growing numbers of people dying on the streets, we will be expanding the service in 2018 and recruiting another member of staff to ensure all residents can be supported and cared for in the way that feels right for them. We continue to work every day to ensure our residents can access healthcare and be supported to approach the end of their life with dignity and respect. This Dying Matters week, we would encourage everyone to start a conversation on how we as a society can prevent the unnecessary deaths of people sleeping rough, as well as how we treat homeless individuals with dignity as they approach the end of their life.
‘Giving people a fresh start in life’
“We help people who are living in their own homes but need support to ensure they are able to keep a roof over their head.” Ola Pedro, Team Leader at St Mungo’s Tenancy Sustainment Team North, tells us about how his team supports people who previously slept rough to live independently in the community. St Mungo’s Tenancy Sustainment Team (TST) North works with people who formerly slept rough and who are now housed across North London. Our team supports them to maintain their tenancies and to further develop their skills and confidence to move on into independent accommodation – moving away from homelessness for good. We want to make sure people are socially included. We link them with packages of support, as needed – around mental health, substance misuse, employment, ex-offending, offending – as well as other activities to help them sustain their tenancies and feel part of the wider community. ‘We carry out home visits to make sure that people are living safely’ We work with people who are often tackling three or more health and other issues, for example, substance use, risk of offending, and or physical and mental health problems. The sector jargon would be ‘high needs’ clients and they can need a lot more intense one to one support. We carry out home visits regularly to check that people are living safely. If there are any issues around their support needs, these can be represented in how they live. For example, if a person is going through severe depression, the state of their property can reveal that. These visits mean we can make sure the person is comfortable in their home, in their area, and to identify any maintenance issues or anything that landlords need to be aware of. Benefits are a major issue at the moment. The roll out of Universal Credit has caused a lot of stress for our clients. We are finding many people are having to go without money while their applications are being processed, for six to eight weeks. This is something that TST staff have had to pick up. If not, it creates issues which permeate into every other area of people’s lives and means they need even more support. We help people, for example, by offering food vouchers and topping up their electricity and gas, if needed. We have drop-ins every Monday and Friday, so people can also come in and sit down with us for some support if they want. ‘I feel joy when I go home’ I got into St Mungo’s through volunteering at St Mungo’s Islington Mental Health Team. I tried a corporate job but just didn’t find it rewarding. I like the dynamism of this role – it’s extremely active, you’re never in once place for a long time. I’m the team manager but I also work with clients, I support around 55 clients myself. I’ll visit about four or five clients in one day, each needing different kinds of support, so it’s about balancing that with the managing and admin side of the role. I feel joy when I go home as I know I’m making a difference. I’m improving the quality of people’s lives – taking them from a place where they are not so happy to a place where they can feel confident, and our team are part of that process. ‘Giving people a fresh start in life’ I supported one person, for example, who had his tenancy taken over by a group of drug dealers. They were force feeding him crack cocaine and heroin, just so they could use his accommodation to cook and to sell the drugs. He didn’t actually tell me this had happened until I got a phone call to say that he’d been admitted into hospital for abscesses on his arms and hands from injecting. He had also been beaten up really badly. When I went to the hospital, I had a really long discussion with him about why he didn’t want to tell me this. He said there were a lot of feelings of guilt and shame around why he didn’t want to tell me what had happened. We worked together very closely over the next three months and he’s now been rehoused away from that area. He got a chance to start a fresh life and went to rehab. He’s completely clean of the drugs that were forcibly put in his system. When I go home and think about that story, that’s what drives me and makes me want to do this job always.
Towards a new rough sleeping strategy
Beatrice Orchard, St Mungo’s Head of Policy, Campaigns and Research, writes about our priorities as the Homelessness Reduction Act and other measures seek to end homelessness The Homelessness Reduction Act comes into force today. This is a landmark piece of legislation with the potential to have a hugely positive impact on the lives of many more people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, compared to the previous system. It places new duties on local authorities to help prevent and relieve homelessness for people regardless of ‘priority need’ criteria. This follows news last week of a new initiative to reduce rough sleeping and a decision to reinstate entitlement to housing benefit for all 18-21 year olds. These are very welcome steps towards ending the misery of sleeping rough, an aim that surely unites us all. In 2016, we at St Mungo’s launched our Stop the Scandal campaign calling for a new national strategy to end rough sleeping and this is what we want to see next. The government has cohttps://www.mungos.org/research-publication/stop-the-scandal-the-case-for-action-on-mental-health-and-rough-sleeping/mmitted to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and to eliminate it altogether by 2027. To meet this pledge, a ministerial taskforce has been established to produce a new rough sleeping strategy. A Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel made up of homeless sector representatives, including St Mungo’s, is providing guidance to this ministerial taskforce. Rough sleeping has increased by 169% since 2010. On any given night, 4,751 people sleep rough in England. Behind these stark figures are people who are living each day at risk of violence, abuse and serious ill health. We have evidence of this from the people themselves, from our outreach teams and our research with people who have experienced rough sleeping. Put simply, it is a scandal. That’s why it is good to see a sense of urgency from the government. We agree immediate action is needed to move people off the streets and out of danger. Effective outreach services are part of this. So is emergency accommodation and access to mental health and substance use treatment and support. This must also be aligned with measures to prevent people sleeping rough in the first place and long term support to ensure people don’t return to the street. The new strategy must protect and expand existing services, which support people off the streets. That includes supported housing, which is the primary route out of rough sleeping for people who need both a safe place to stay and support to recover from homelessness and associated problems, including poor health and experience of violence and abuse. However, the government’s current proposals to change the way homeless hostels and other short term supported housing is funded puts the future of these life-saving services at risk. As rough sleeping continues to rise nationally, available places in supported housing have fallen due to major cuts in local authority funding. Research by Homeless Link found there was an 18% reduction in bed spaces in homelessness accommodation between 2010 and 2016. Despite this, the government now wants local authorities to become responsible for funding the housing costs in hostels, in addition to the support services which councils are already struggling to fund. Instead, we think the government should adjust its plans in line with calls from the supported housing sector and continue to provide funding for housing costs via the welfare system. Beyond this, ministers will need to consider the role for innovative approaches, such as Housing First, which has proven successful for ending rough sleeping among those with the most complex problems. Government investment in three Housing First pilots is, again, welcome, but ministers will need to establish long term funding arrangements to make this approach work. An integrated rough sleeping strategy will also need to be underpinned by a legal framework to help ensure services benefit from sustainable funding and can respond to fluctuations in demand. The Homelessness Reduction Act is a good start, using new legal duties to shift the focus of councils in England towards providing help to prevent homelessness in the first place. But if the Act is to be a success, councils must be able to help those in danger of sleeping rough find the right housing and support. Sadly, the reality is the unacceptable shortage of affordable housing options for too many people, and this is another long term challenge for the ministerial taskforce. St Mungo’s has always supported people to move off the streets into accommodation and to access the services that can help them rebuild their lives. This can take days, weeks, sometimes years. We don’t think it is an easy challenge the government has accepted, but we share their ambition of ending rough sleeping and welcome the opportunity to help get on with it.
‘I’ve come a long way’
Mohamed left care at 16, has lived in numerous hostels and is now on an FA Coaching course at Fulham FC. He shares his excitement about the opportunity he’s been given. I came to the UK as an unaccompanied child refugee. I moved from hostel to hostel. In the place I last lived, when you get to certain age they ask you to move on. I always thought I’d stay there until I was ready to move on. I left care when I was 16 and had to adapt and grow quickly. I’m 23 next month, so I’ve come a long way. I adapted by avoiding getting in trouble and negative situations. I started to realise that time is valuable. I also learned not to get involved in things that don’t benefit me. If you don’t have a good set of friends, you can get into trouble. When you’re younger, you’re exposed to a lot of things, like going clubbing, or just being out with your friends. I’m really happy that I avoided getting in trouble. Independence at 17 When I was 17, I had just become independent. A lot has changed – I am more tuned in. I have adapted – no more wasting time, allowing it to go past me. When you get older, things become a little different. You have to fend more for yourself. The best thing you can have is positive support. I have the best support from Jackie, my St Mungo’s support worker and the manager, Octawia, also David, another support worker, they have advised and all supported me. I’ve been in hostels since 2011 and I’ve come across a lot of support workers in 10 hostels. I can honestly say this is the best support I’ve had from St Mungo’s. Jackie understands me. She talks and explains things to me like a human being and actually helps me – that is sometimes rare to find in hostels. I think that everyone who lives here would say the same thing. There’s no way I’m not going to take advantage of any opportunities. I never had any professional relationship with my keyworkers before. When I got inside the hostel, I lived in my room until I got moved out. There was no following up with things. My support worker is always encouraging me to achieve as much as possible and to focus on what I need to achieve. Opportunities make life better It’s great having the opportunity to do things – that’s what makes life better. I’ve lived in hostels since 2011 run by different organisations. The opportunities were there before, but they were quite limited because of where I was. They would only help you with the main things like studying or working. There weren’t the extra opportunities. Now I‘m on a Football Association (FA) Level 1 Coaching Course at Fulham Football Club which comes with qualifications. I was referred to it via another course through Arsenal FC – my support worker, Jackie, was the link. When I started at Arsenal FC, it gave me great motivation. I eventually got this opportunity which is consistent. The Arsenal FC course was eight weeks, which finished. I get to play a lot of football. Joining this course has helped to strengthen my position on the Homeless World Cup Team. We’re going to Russia next year. The tournament was in Brazil four years ago. Playing Brazil has been one of my dreams. ‘I’m humbled by the opportunity I’ve been given’ I’m also involved with Become, the charity that helps young care leavers. Life is better. I’ve given up smoking – I gave up six months ago. I started smoking when I became independent due to the stress. After six years, I finally gave up. It’s one of my biggest achievements. My social worker has seen a dramatic change in me. I’ve just started at Fulham FC. I’m humbled by the opportunity I’ve been given. It’s really exciting. I get to be at Craven Cottage. I’m considering becoming either a trainer or a support worker with young people, to inspire them if they want to achieve – anything is possible. I feel like I’m doing something with my life. Being at Arsenal was exciting but Fulham is more exciting because of the added qualification. I get to go and watch matches, something I never had a chance to go do – it’s really nice and I’m grateful.
Out of London; Down to Paris
“It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you” is a quote from George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London. You may not have wanted to kick someone for sleeping out but how many times have you walked by, getting on with your busy life, not caring to think about what the needs are of someone sleeping rough? I have never been in the position of not having a roof over my head or wanting to know when I will get my next meal. It is not something I want to experience and do not think others should have to experience it either. But they do. There is a housing crisis; people are not able to afford to buy or rent and there are increasing numbers of people sleeping rough as well as hidden homeless. ‘Supporting people through times to rebuild their lives’ As someone who works for a company providing housing, Network Homes, I and 19 of my colleagues signed up to ride London to Paris to raise money for St Mungo’s. We believe in the value of services they provide to end homelessness and supporting people through some tough times to rebuild their lives. The Network Homes’ team is of mixed ability. When we decided to sign up for this in February 2017, some had not had the wind (or rain) in their faces since childhood! The thing that bonds us is the desire to get to Paris and raise as much as we can for St Mungo’s. Over £63,000 raised We have raised over £63,000 through donations and sponsorship. Our L2P jersey and bib shorts are adorned with logos from our sponsors, topped and tailed with our company branding. For me, as a regular cyclist, it has given me more of an excuse to get out during the long spring and summer days to get my training in. After riding Ride London 100 at the end of July, in the St Mungo’s colours, my training continued with an increase in the number long rides on consecutive days and now I am excited about setting off from Crystal Palace. On the 13 September it will be ‘au revoir London’ and 300 miles and four days later it will be ‘hello Paris’. James Dean Network Homes Why we fundraise for St Mungo’s I will put my hands up and say, I am not cycling to Paris. But what I am doing is supporting the fantastic team of 20 get from Crystal Palace to the Eiffel Tower and encouraging them every step of the way for the fantastic work and effort they have been putting into this momentous challenge. I have been championing fundraising at Network Homes since 2015, and since 2016 St Mungo’s has been our charitable cause. Chosen by staff, St Mungo’s and Network Homes share common values and passions for challenging the housing crisis and helping those in need. This cycle is the culmination of efforts from every single member of our staff. While only 20 will be cycling, our staff have attended tea parties, baked cakes and donated household items – and even played in football tournaments, all to help the St Mungo’s cause. I am immensely proud of our cyclists and of all the staff at Network Homes who have contributed to our fantastic achievement. It is a true story of how one good idea can become a tremendous force for change, and we hope that every single penny raised will help the homeless and generate real change in their lives. On to Paris! Rebecca Bicocchi Network Homes
A festival for clients by clients
Last month St Mungo’s held its annual Client Festival organised by Outside In, our client involvement group. Liam, a member of Outside In, tells us about his role helping to organise the Festival. St Mungo’s Client Festival is a festival for clients by clients. The theme this year was ‘Elements’ and aimed to bring together the different elements that will empower clients to learn thrive, and contribute to their communities. I got involved with the Client Festival accidentally. I had intended to enrol at the St Mungo’s Train and Trade Centre, in South London, which offers training in various trades like bricklaying and painting and decorating. Whilst there, I was introduced to Nathan Rosier, the manager of Outside In, a group which is made up of clients who work in partnership with St Mungo’s to improve its services. ‘Like a flower blooming’ Outside In do a lot of different things so I was able to dip my toes in a lot of different things. It was like a flower blooming. I’ve gone from knowing one person to knowing many people in different departments of St Mungo’s. I’m getting to know the different things that interest me. Organising the Client Festival was intense but fun. I think I brought a fresh perspective when I was helping organise it. I wanted people to engage with the stall holders at the festival. So I came up with an emoji style quiz, which got people walking around. ‘ I had something to bring to the table’ I took the lead on our raffle quiz, which required people interact with the stall holders. I would probably change how I engaged with the donors of the raffle prizes. I don’t have that much confidence so ringing the donors and the face to face conversations were a bit challenging. It’s the first point in ten years where I felt that I had something to bring to the table. It was stressful long days. Hectic! Really hectic! It gave me a routine because I had to manage my personal stuff as well. It made me feel like a professional. I miss it. When I was packing away the stuff at the end of the day, I was thinking, ‘this is all done now’. ‘It was a big hit!’ The Festival went really well. I think it was a big hit! What I hoped for was that clients got more aware of what happens in St Mungo’s and what the different departments do. It was the high level of client involvement from members of Outside In, and volunteers who helped out on the day that made it special. Clients took control of the Festival, we decided on the small things, the decorations to the trees on the stage – that’s what made it a success. It wasn’t St Mungo’s coming up and telling us what to do. It was our ideas. It was the engagement from the clients that made it a success. ‘The clients’ perspective’ Client involvement to me is those who live in St Mungo’s properties or use their services getting involved from the smallest things to the biggest. It’s their perspective. It’s their views recognised and listened to by St Mungo’s. It’s the clients acting proactively in everyday things from meetings to events. Involving clients is enormously important. I don’t think St Mungo’s would grow or learn without a client perspective and understanding what works. It gives clients motivation, a sense of being, achievement and something to grasp onto. They learn. They grow. They’re inspired. It’s fundamental to what St Mungo’s is. ‘The year ahead’ I’m looking forward to next year. I have applied for a volunteer role at St Mungo’s. I’ve also been speaking to St Mungo’s head of diversity and inclusion about the new Client Involvement Strategy, which is something I am really into. I am keen to find out where I can get most involved next.
Saving hostels, rebuilding lives
Dominic Williamson, Executive Director of Strategy and Policy, explains why we’re launching our Save Hostels Rebuild Lives campaign… In August 2016, our CEO Howard Sinclair wrote in The Guardian about how government proposals on future funding were creating great uncertainty for organisations like St Mungo’s that provide supported housing for homeless people. Nearly a year on, that uncertainty remains and the future funding for these vital services is still up in the air. So this week St Mungo’s is launching a new campaign – Save Hostels Rebuild Lives – to draw attention to the issue. Our call to government is: “Stop and take the time to get this right”. At one level the issue is simple: every year supported housing, like hostels, helps thousands of homeless people escape the streets and rebuild their lives. Other supported housing prevents homelessness, for example, for young people at risk. These services will be essential to achieving the government’s own goal of reducing rough sleeping – and so they must be protected from further funding cuts. However, because the way the costs of these services is funded is quite complex, getting wider interest in and support for the issue is not easy. I’ll try to explain. Bear with me – this may get a bit technical! Supported housing for homeless people includes short term hostels, assessment centres as well as longer term housing with support. They are a subset of a much larger supported housing sector which includes domestic violence refuges, sheltered housing and extra care housing for elderly people. Some services have 24 hour staffing, others have 9-to-5 support depending on the client group. The cost of the staff providing the support are met through contracts commissioned by local authorities, through what used to be known as the Supporting People scheme. The housing costs are covered by the rent, which for most people is met through their individual entitlement to housing benefit. This includes housing management staff costs and the cost of the physical building itself including facilities such as lifts or fire alarms systems, day-to-day repairs and the long-term maintenance of the fabric of the building. Over the past six or seven years, as local council budgets have been squeezed, so has the money available for the support contracts. As a result, some homelessness services have shut or had the level of support reduced. ‘Not possible to deliver supported housing within LHA cap’ Last year the government announced changes that would potentially be even more devastating. Driven by the roll out of Universal Credit and pressure to reduce welfare spending, DWP ministers set out plans to cap people’s housing benefit entitlement at the local housing allowance rate (LHA). This is rate varies considerably across the country and is tagged to the lower end of the local private rented sector market. In many parts of the country it is simply not possible to deliver supported housing within the LHA cap. Particularly in the current funding climate, where local authorities are already strapped for cash, the government’s proposal to make up any shortfall through a discretionary local top-up fund will undoubtedly lead to a further cuts in funding – and ultimately put crucial services at risk of closure. Over the past 12 months, St Mungo’s and other organisations such as the National Housing Federation have been working to model the potential impact of these changes on services. We have responded to a government consultation and submitted evidence to a joint enquiry by the DWP and CLG select committees. Their report agreed that that the government must take more time to develop a sustainable and secure future funding system that protects these housing and support services. Before the General Election ministers had been listening to the arguments and promised to protect services. Meetings have started with new ministers to make sure they also understand the risks. We are pleased to be part of those discussion and at a meeting recently our CEO Howard invited Caroline Dinenage MP, the DWP minister now in charge of the reforms, to come and visit one of our hostels to learn more. ‘Helping people off the streets for nearly five decades’ St Mungo’s has been helping homeless people off the streets for nearly five decades. Over that time have seen that unless the funding regime is strong and secure, services for homeless people are often among the first to be cut when budgets are tight. Cuts to supported housing have undoubtedly contributed to the rapid rise in rough sleeping since 2010. This really is a matter of life and death. Sleeping rough is dangerous – the average age of death of someone sleeping rough is 47. Each night at St Mungo’s we provide housing and support to 2,700 people. We work to build on people’s strengths so they can recover from the issues that have led to their homelessness. A decent and safe place live and good quality support are crucial. There are many fantastic supported housing services across the country which seek to empower people and have been very successful in getting people back on their feet. But there is also some poor quality provision, and hostels may not the best route for everyone. ‘Helping people with complex needs to secure a tenancy’ Over the past few years there has been growing interest in an approach called ‘Housing First’. Originating in New York as an alternative to the patchy emergency shelter provision that is the norm in the USA, the Housing First approach is based on helping people with complex needs to secure a tenancy first along with a long term and flexible package of support around them. There is a growing evidence base from Europe and the UK that this approach can be effective and the government has responded positively to calls to scale this up as part of the solution to growing rough sleeping. St Mungo’s is one of the main providers of Housing First projects in England. We are seeing how this model can work
