With government funding and commitment, the homelessness sector can and will innovate, writes Tim Archbold, chief executive of homelessness charity Signposts, as part of the Reset Homelessness campaign.
It was in 1993 when I first experienced homelessness. I was 24 and had been rough sleeping prior to being referred to a hostel in north-west London. I had a bed and bedside cabinet in a dormitory with 30 other men.
I remember living in a constant state of anxiety, avoiding trouble where I could, but also getting introduced to things I had never dreamed of.
Eventually I moved on and vowed to myself that I would never live in a hostel again. Although I had resolved my immediate crisis, the root causes of my position were not addressed. Predictably, 10 years later, I found myself homeless again and that vow prevented me from asking for help.
I keep this story in my mind in everything I do with Signposts, and we have worked hard over the years to ensure people using our services don’t experience the same feelings.
These efforts have been replicated across England, with the standard of supported accommodation having improved immeasurably since 1993. Services are now largely delivered in psychologically informed environments by highly skilled, trauma-informed staff and led by some of the country’s most resilient and entrepreneurial leaders.
These improvements have been delivered during some of the toughest times our sector has ever seen.
Homelessness has been persistent throughout history, shaped by political decisions, economic crises and societal changes. It’s the political decisions and will that I would like to highlight today.
During Medieval times, homelessness was linked to poverty and displacement. Monasteries provided shelter, but dissolution left many destitute, while vagrancy laws criminalised homelessness.
Services are now largely delivered in psychologically informed environments by highly skilled, trauma-informed staff… These improvements have been delivered during some of the toughest times our sector has ever seen.
The Industrial Revolution strained housing, which created unsanitary conditions. Factory work offered employment, but poor wages and inadequate housing led to slums and homelessness.
The Blitz during World War II left thousands of people homeless, prompting the introduction of prefabricated housing. Post-war Britain saw a large-scale social housing programme.
By the late 20th century, homelessness became a systemic issue, leading to legislative interventions. The Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 placed legal responsibilities on councils to assist people experiencing homelessness.
The Right to Buy during the 1980s allowed council tenants to purchase their homes, depleting social housing. Fewer council homes available led to a growing private rental sector, where rising rents and insecure tenancy agreements make stability difficult.
The 1990s Rough Sleepers Initiative aimed to address street homelessness through outreach and emergency accommodation, and came close to eliminating rough sleeping.
Today, homelessness is driven by multiple factors, including the soaring cost of living and rising poverty levels, which have contributed to a growing number of people without stable accommodation.
Although these factors are often cited as the primary causes, they are also direct results of political decisions made by successive governments. The repeated failure to build replacement social housing has created a housing crisis, which is an appalling situation in 2025.
When I started working in the sector, the Supporting People programme, which largely provided protected funding for our sector, was about to be phased out. Whatever homelessness funding today’s government can allocate must be protected in a similar way.
However, I don’t believe just throwing money at the problem is the answer. In fact, over-funding can stifle innovation.
Over 10 years I have seen our sector pivot and innovate at every level. As providers, we remain collaborative and supportive. Largely thanks to the safe umbrella provided by Homeless Link, we share best practices and find innovative ways to deliver solutions.
This was exemplified by our response to the government’s Everyone In instruction during the coronavirus pandemic. Who knew that given sufficient political will, we could achieve this?
I don’t believe just throwing money at the problem is the answer. In fact, over-funding can stifle innovation.
In Luton, providers worked together using street outreach, hotel accommodation and a strong network of exempt supported accommodation to ensure everyone was off the street in days. Not only did we achieve this, but we ensured people were offered and moved into stable accommodation once restrictions eased.
Yet, 2024-25 saw stringent oversight by the Department for Work and Pensions of that exempt accommodation network. The lack of national co-ordination and failure to consider the potential impact of this approach has led to a year of uncertainty for providers in Luton.
At Signposts, we operated for three-quarters of the year not knowing if we were on budget. Would we have a bill to repay or be owed money? Only the previously mentioned leadership qualities that are in abundance in our sector got us through.
As I sit here today planning for next year, the only thing I can be certain of is uncertainty.
I am a great believer in the ‘power of three’, so I call on the government to provide that certainty and demonstrate their political will by:
- Committing to a long-term protected funding pipeline that strengthens current provision and encourages innovation
- Delivering a bespoke regulatory framework that oversees and ensures the quality of supported accommodation, along with a housing benefit system that meets the needs of supported accommodation and provides clarity
- Committing to and delivering on a prevention strategy that crosses all departments and aims to prevent people falling into homelessness in the first place
Leave it to us as a sector to then deliver the innovative and co-produced solutions that can end the humanitarian scandal that homelessness in 2025 Britain truly is.
Tim Archbold, chief executive, Signposts