Homelessness is a complicated and multifaceted issue. It can feel like a challenge that we cannot overcome, either as individuals or as a society. It can seem like homelessness is simply an unpreventable fact of life. For those who become homeless, the challenge of turning their lives around can seem insurmountable. However, there are both short-term fixes which can help a homeless person find shelter, as well as long-term strategies which we can use in Telford and Wrekin (and broader society), to catch people before they end up homeless in the first place. This blog will cast a glance over shelter and support services, housing approaches and prevention programs.
Immediate Shelter and Support Services
One of the most urgent needs for people experiencing homelessness is safe and stable accommodation. Expanding access to emergency shelters, crisis housing, and transitional accommodation is critical. These services not only provide immediate safety but also offer a stable environment where individuals can connect with support services, such as mental health counselling, medical care, and substance abuse treatment. We have a list of local services for Telford and Wrekin here.
Affordable Housing to Reduce Homelessness
Rocketing rents and a lack of affordable housing are key drivers of homelessness. Policies including “Right to Buy” and no rent caps have reduced affordable housing stocks across Telford and Wrekin. Whilst the borough is housing many families presenting as homeless and building more affordable housing, there is still a social housing shortage.
Housing First Approach
Even if housing is available, we use a “housing ready” approach. This approach means that a potential tenant must deal with the issues that led to their homelessness before the council offers them a home. This means that homeless people dealing with addiction or mental health issues must first access services to deal with these problems before they will be considered for permanent housing, which can be difficult without a stable place to live. A “housing first” approach provides permanent, stable accommodation to individuals before dealing with their challenges. There is strong evidence from Finland backing up the effectiveness of this approach, and it forms a key part of Crisis’ Plan to End Homelessness
Enhance Prevention Programmes to Tackle Causes of Homelessness
People experiencing homelessness often have experienced trauma, addiction or mental health problems and may struggle to find work. Well-funded and effective mental health services are crucial to stopping people from falling into homelessness and keeping them off the street after accessing housing. Integrated care that combines mental health services with housing support has been shown to reduce homelessness and improve quality of life for affected individuals
This requires strong relationships and collaboration between local authorities, social services non-profits, businesses, employment services, healthcare providers and communities to create a coordinated approach to service delivery. In Telford and Wrekin, the council and local non-profits, like Telford KiP, Maninplace and the Salvation Army work hand in hand to provide as comprehensive and joined up service as possible.
Homelessness, whilst complicated, is not an insurmountable challenge. With a coordinated and connected approach to both short-term symptoms and the long-term causes, we can drastically reduce the number of people without shelter in Telford and Wrekin.
