The latest report from the Public Accounts Select Committee, ‘Local Government Financial Sustainability,’ contains recommendations closely aligned with Homeless Link’s Breaking the Cycle campaign and wider policy positions.
The state of local government finances, which provide a high proportion of funding for homelessness support and prevention services, is described as “perilous” in the report. Also set out in the document are recommendations aimed at improving outcomes for services and service users, including homelessness services.
The key issues identified by the committee include a failure to track and assess the efficacy of spending, an “overly complex” funding system, a lack of investment in prevention, and a failure from central government to properly assess the impact of National Insurance Contribution rises on local government-funded services including charities working under Government contracts, as many of our members do.
All of these are issues Homeless Link has previously highlighted as having a direct impact on homelessness services, and consequently risking further rises in the number of people experiencing rough sleeping and other types of homelessness.
The report also includes recommendations for change, which similarly mirror Homeless Link’s representations to government. These include urging Ministers to empower local authorities to invest in prevention and to consolidate and simplify funding processes on a cross-departmental basis.
Commenting on the report, Homeless Link Director of Social Change Fiona Colley states.
“We welcome the committee’s report which reflects a growing consensus that current funding structures are undermining, rather than supporting, the vital work of homelessness prevention and support services.”
“The recommendations set out in the report would be a step towards a more stable and cost-effective funding model for homelessness services. This in turn would enable those services to focus on their core mission: to support people experiencing and at risk of homelessness.”
“As the government finalises its Homelessness Strategy over the coming months, we encourage Ministers to carefully consider the committee’s report and to work with homelessness organisations to co-create a more effective and efficient way to support our country’s excellent frontline homelessness services.”
