Cathy Michaels, Community Manager at Bromford Housing Association, describes her journey with Housing First from sceptic to advocate to clear up some misconceptions hampering social housing provider involvement.
I remember when my Head of Housing approached me with the idea of leading on a new project at Bromford she felt had huge potential: Housing First.
She said it involved housing those with a history of entrenched rough sleeping and homelessness who could not get housed through the usual channels. In my head it’s fair to say my response was less than enthusiastic, but I nodded in all the right places and promised to give some thought to what it might look like.
Based on my experience of engaging with this cohort, I just couldn't see how I could make it work. It was almost painful to think about the years my team had spent working with the people likely to be on the list of potential participants. People who it seemed just couldn't be helped and who eventually were evicted.
I ended up being out of the office for a while and in my absence a colleague had gallantly stepped in and set it up. He was my hero, but as most of the clients would wind up being housed in my area, it made sense, despite my scepticism, to engage fully with the partnership between the support provider, P3, and Cotswold District Council.
From sceptic to advocate
I have a passion for developing great delivery partnerships that can bring real benefits to our residents. I brought this into play and our Housing First project took off from there.
Our service focuses on the individual participant, securing them a home in the right neighbourhood and enabling them to thrive - that is all that matters. When issues crop up, such as a return to street begging, we discuss them. Nothing is considered off the table and we work as a team to understand and find solutions.
Today I feel that Housing First is one of the best pathways to housing and recovery for people with complex needs who are practically excluded from most housing options. I say this for two reasons:
- I do not need to have the intensive housing management input normally required for complex needs customers. This is largely due to the intensive support provided by the support workers meaning we can be more proactive nipping potential issues in the bud.
- The growth I have seen in participants has been tremendous considering their difficult housing history.
In short, I can really understand the housing sector’s resistance to getting involved in Housing First. Like me before I learned more, they are probably expecting customers to engage in a range of anti-social behaviour from mess and noise to substance use, generating additional work and costs. Add to the mix that participants will likely have rent arrears from previous failed tenancies, it would feel like the perfect storm.
But – and I cannot stress this enough – if you build an open, honest and fully transparent partnership between the local authority, housing provider and support provider, the opposite is true.
Strength in partnerships
We discuss all aspects of a customer's journey openly, viewing behaviours or circumstances that might ordinarily be considered an issue from a support or advice perspective. Our partners share clear expectations, while acknowledging the need for flexibility and a solutions-focussed approach. With the right framework for discussing location, property type and needs with the participant also in place, it will be a winning combination.
I spend far less time managing my Housing First residents compared to some of our more complex general needs customers. The intensive support provided by P3 coupled with the additional services the Council can unlock makes our housing management function much easier.
Most importantly of all, is the tangible progress of our Housing First customers that makes this project so worthwhile. It may be small steps and very tailored, but for the individuals concerned it is massive and impactful. For me, a sceptic-turned-advocate, I'm humbled each time I get an update on their progress.
So, I want to help providers get more Housing Associations on board.
I am greatly looking forward to speaking at Homeless Link’s Housing in Housing First webinar on 1 April, alongside Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and Westminster VAWG Housing First. The session will help address the housing challenges that services continue to face, sharing examples of how to increase the supply of social housing and manage effective partnerships with housing providers.
