Be inspired – what works in reducing evictions and abandonment

Pilot projects to reduce evictions and abandonment

It is possible

“If you give up on someone they just do it again and again and again until no hostel will take them.” Client

Preventing evictions and abandonment is not necessarily about being more tolerant, but about being more proactive to prevent incidents occurring, recognising people at risk, and having appropriate means to respond. It is vital that all staff believe that it is possible to support people to move on successfully - even services working with extremely high support needs have managed to achieve over 90% positive move-on and it is possible for everyone to do.

Good practice

In 2009, Homeless Link conducted research into the common causes of evictions and abandonment, and the good practice found by services to reduce this. The research can be found here.

Building on the research, in 2010 we worked with five pilot projects with a target of reducing unplanned moves by 50% across 12 months. The details of these pilots, including learning about what worked, can be found here.

We have produced good practice information on some of the key areas that contribute to or are part of preventing evictions and abandonment. Click on the links below to see the good practice in the following:

Case studies

To see examples of how services across England have reduced their unplanned moves, follow the links below:

International examples
The National Alliance to End Homelessness in the US has released a three-part eviction series highlighting the way some communities have curbed evictions from public housing authorities. Case management, relationship building, organisational structure, and financial support have all been effective strategies for curbing evictions, which can often lead to homelessness for vulnerable families. This series examines three communties: King County, WA; Cleveland, OH; and Middlesex County, MA and is part of the Alliance's Promising Practices series. Each of the three briefs highlights the strategies these communities have found to be most successful in preventing evictions. Read the briefs by clicking on the links below:

So what can you do?

For guidance on how to implement the good practice identified above in your own services, click here.