News | Homeless Link

Homelessness services in 2020: what’s the story (Part One)? Everyone In

Media coverage about rough sleeping in 2020/21 has often focused on the ‘Everyone In’ initiative, and in particular hotel provision for those rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping. For part one of our Atlas launch blog series we look in more depth at new data about Everyone In.
- Managing Accommodation
Becoming strengths-based: the four key elements

For the past year, Homeless Link in partnership with Expert Link and Inspire Chilli, has been learning more about strengths-based working. This week we publish the first section of our toolkit, Becoming strengths-based, in which we outline why we think it’s so important and the key principles for working in a strengths-based way.
- Strengths-Based
- Workforce
New project will develop roadmap for homelessness services working with people with NRPF

Homeless Link with our project partners the No Accommodation Network (NACCOM) are pleased to announce a timely new project aiming to improve the homelessness offer for migrants with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) in England.
- Lived Experience
- Safeguarding and Social Care
Hidden dangers of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

We set out our concerns about Part 4 of the Police Bill, which could have an important implications for homelessness.
- Street Outreach
- Hate-Crime
How can we work together to support people sleeping rough this winter?

With pandemic restrictions lifting, many homelessness organisations are already reporting a rising number of people sleeping rough. Fiona Colley, Director of StreetLink talks about how members of the public can play a role in supporting people sleeping rough this winter.
- Help End Homelessness
- Street Outreach
This is not how we end rough sleeping: Scrap the new Immigration Rules

Long-awaited guidance has shed light on the new rough sleeping Immigration Rules, but despite attempts to mitigate their worst aspects, Homeless Link remain deeply concerned about the impact they will have on vulnerable non-UK nationals and community trust in homelessness services.
- Non-UK Nationals
- Trauma-Informed
Changes to the Shared Accommodation Rate Exemption to benefit under 25s

From June this year, more young people have been able to benefit from greater financial support for their housing costs, helping them move on from homelessness for good. Billy Harding, Senior Policy and Research Officer at Centrepoint, talks about what this change means for young people and the campaign that made it happen.
- Managing Accommodation
- Youth
Respite Rooms: Creating a safe space for women sleeping rough, survivors of domestic abuse

140 single gender spaces will be created as part of a £3.7m fund providing safe accommodation with expert specialist support. We hear from one of our members Basis Yorkshire about what this funding means for the women they support and what key considerations are needed to ensure it delivers for women.
- Managing Accommodation
- Women
Applications to the Capital and Revenue streams of the Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund are now open

Enabling small-to-medium sized homelessness charities, community and faith groups and voluntary sector organisations to develop accommodation options that are self-contained, Covid-secure and dignified.
GP registration, vaccination and protection

Back at the end of last year, we wrote about the need to get people with no home registered with GPs to maximise their chance of timely vaccination against COVID.
- Medication and Treatment
How can I help someone sleeping rough in hot weather?

There’s lots of information about how members of the public can take positive action when they see someone sleeping rough in cold weather. But periods of hot weather can also be harmful for people sleeping rough. Director of StreetLink Fiona Colley discusses what people can do if they are concerned about someone sleeping rough during the summer months.
- Safeguarding and Social Care
Vaccinating frontline workers and clients

Regular readers of Homeless Link blogs will know that earlier this month, we wrote to the Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment to ask that working with people who have no home is treated as a priority occupation for vaccination, as a matter for urgency. We also asked members to write to their MPs to raise the same issue and many have taken immediate action, including asking their workforce to write to their own MPs.
Fund launches to increase access to immigration advice for rough sleepers in London

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has announced £233,000 of funding for frontline organisations to support people sleeping rough in London with accessing immigration advice.
- Non-UK Nationals
Join our call for vaccinations for homelessness workers

Homeless Link is advocating for roles working with people experiencing homelessness to be treated as a priority occupation for COVID-19 vaccination. Services can help strengthen our call by writing to their local MP.
- Staff Wellbeing
- Medication and Treatment
Stats summary: MHCLG’s latest homelessness statistics for 2020-2021

On 9 September 2021, MHCLG released the latest statutory homelessness statistics, covering the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. The statutory statistics capture data on everyone who has been assessed under the Homelessness Reduction Act, meaning that since 2018 we have been able to see a much more detailed picture of single homelessness.
- Impact and Data
- Rough Sleeping Snapshots
Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund 2021/22 is announced

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced a £3 million grants fund to enable community and faith groups to provide winter services for people sleeping rough in 2021/22.
- Help End Homelessness
- Grants, Investment and Enterprise Development
Vagrancy Act Consultation

The government has announced a consultation on the replacement to the vagrancy act. Tell us what you think.
Now is the time to talk to your council about their RSI funding plans

Local Authorities are currently developing plans that will shape homelessness services for the next three years. The voluntary sector can, and should engage now to share best practice and help shape those services.
- Rough Sleeping
Slow but determined change: Facing up to non-UK national homelessness

Everyone In represented the first time that England had attempted a local authority-led universal homelessness response. The results for non-UK national homelessness were remarkable, but the measures were temporary. Now, as winter provision continues and local authorities plan RSI 2022-25, we must galvanise good practice and advocate clearly and consistently for the changes needed.
- Meeting Diverse Needs
- Non-UK Nationals
The case for commissioning Housing First through Rough Sleeping Initiative budgets

A new, longer-term Rough Sleeping Initiative round should allow local authorities to embed Housing First as part of a mixed approach to tackling rough sleeping.
- Housing First