A report said that there was a need for improved discharge arrangements from hospital for people who were homeless, and facilities for them to recover that were more suitable than hostel beds.
Source: Robyn Lane, The Road to Recovery: A feasibility study into homeless intermediate care, Homeless Link (020 7960 3010)
Date: 2005-Dec
A report summarized the results of a survey of English local authorities about homelessness. The number of households in temporary accommodation (91,090 for participating authorities at the time of the survey) was anticipated to decrease to 87,173 in March 2006, and to 53,902 by 31 March 2010.
Source: Survey of English Local Authorities About Homelessness, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Dec
A report described progress in Scotland towards eradicating the distinction between 'priority' and 'non-priority' homeless households by the end of 2012. (This would mean that all unintentionally homeless people were entitled to permanent accommodation from that date.)
Source: Helping Homeless People - Homelessness Statement: Ministerial statement on abolition of priority need by 2012, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release | Shelter Scotland press release | CIH Scotland press release
Date: 2005-Dec
A survey examined public attitudes to homeless people. Nearly half of those surveyed felt sympathy when they saw a homeless person on the streets, and more than 1 in 10 felt embarrassed. Women were twice as likely as men to feel guilty. People in the south east region were least likely to feel sympathy.
Source: Press release 21 December 2005, St. Mungo's (020 8600 3003)
Links: St Mungo's press release
Date: 2005-Dec
A report said that for many homeless people existing public services were inflexible, slow, bureaucratic, and difficult to navigate.
Source: From the Margins to the Mainstream: A new model for public services, Crisis (020 7015 1800)
Links: Report | Crisis press release
Date: 2005-Dec
There were 24,800 homelessness acceptances by local housing authorities in England during the third quarter of 2005. This was 23 per cent lower than in the same period in 2004, and the lowest number of acceptances during the third quarter since 1985.
Source: Statutory Homelessness: 3rd Quarter 2005, England, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 4400)
Links: Report | ODPM press release | Shelter press release
Date: 2005-Dec
An article examined portrayals of homelessness by independent television news broadcasts between January 1993 and December 2002. Homeless people tended to be characterized as "needy victims".
Source: Darrin Hodgetts, Andrea Cullen and Alan Radley, 'Television characterizations of homeless people in the United Kingdom': Subtitle, Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, Volume 5 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Dec
The Welsh Assembly government published a revised homelessness strategy for the period 2006-2008, placing a new emphasis on prevention.
Source: National Homelessness Strategy for Wales 2006 2008, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 3903)
Links: Report | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A report by a committee of MPs said that government target setting, supported by financial support and advice to local authorities, had helped to bring about significant alleviation of the worst consequences of homelessness.
Source: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Tackling homelessness, Thirteenth Report (Session 2005-06), HC 653, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Nov
A report examined the barriers homeless people faced when seeking employment. It outlined the results of a survey in which 100 homeless people were asked to identify the problems they faced getting a job.
Source: Hard Work for Homeless People, St. Mungo's (020 8600 3003)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
A report said that government housing policy was failing to provide affordable properties for people struggling to move out of hostels.
Source: A Home For All?: Homelessness policy challenges for Labour s third term, Salvation Army (020 7367 4700)
Links: Report (pdf) | Salvation Army press release
Date: 2005-Sep
There were 100,970 households in England at the end of June 2005 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (up 1 per cent on a year earlier).
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England 2nd Quarter 2005, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) Links: Report (pdf) | Crisis press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Sep
The number of people sleeping rough on streets in England in June 2005 showed a 75 per cent reduction since 1998, from 1,850 to 459.
Source: Press release 12 September 2005, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: ODPM press release | Table (Excel file)
Date: 2005-Sep
A report said that significant numbers of homeless young people were not being helped by new homelessness legislation. Young homeless people accepted by local authorities were spending longer in temporary accommodation, with most expecting to wait 6 months to a year before being offered long-term housing. Some had been placed in unsuitable temporary accommodation where they were at risk of violence, theft, bullying, and exposure to alcohol and drug misuse.
Source: I. Anderson and S. Thomson, More Priority Needed: The impact of legislative change on young homeless people's access to housing and support, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Shelter press release | Community Care report
Date: 2005-Sep
An article said that the government's policies on street homelessness in England prioritized ?social cohesion? over ?social justice? objectives.
Source: Suzanne Fitzpatrick and Anwen Jones, 'Pursuing social justice or social cohesion?: coercion in street homelessness policies in England', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 34 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Jul
A report said that nearly two-thirds of the local authorities surveyed had no plans for how they would house homeless young people (aged 16-17), and around a third had no plans to offer supported accommodation. This was despite the introduction of the Homelessness Act 2002 that placed a duty on local authorities to make this age group a priority.
Source: Bed and Breakfast: Unfit Housing for Young People, Centrepoint (020 7426 5300)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jul
There were 101,070 households in England at the end of March 2005 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (up 3 per cent on a year earlier).
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England First Quarter 2005, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) Links: Report | ODPM press release | Shelter press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jun
A government policy briefing set out how the target to halve the number of households in temporary accommodation could be achieved - focusing on access to settled housing.
Source: Providing More Settled Homes, Policy Briefing 11, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Briefing (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jun
A report said that vulnerable and homeless people were losing out under choice-based social housing lettings (the system where social landlords advertised properties, and applicants made bids for homes).
Source: Catherine Grannum, A Question of Choice: Issues and good practice in choice-based lettings, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report (pdf) | Shelter press release
Date: 2005-Jun
A report examined how homeless people viewed volunteering, what benefits they could gain from it, what potential barriers they faced, and how they felt they could be best supported to volunteer.
Source: Kate Bowgett, Homeless People and Volunteering, Off the Streets and into Work (020 7089 2722)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
A think-tank report examined the particular support needs of excluded adults returning to work. It questioned the idea that training focused predominantly on job-related vocational skills would be enough for people trying to get work. A dedicated insurance fund should be set up to encourage and support companies to employ homeless people.
Source: Hannah Lownsbrough, Include Me In: How life skills help homeless people back into work, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | Demos press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2005-Jun
A report examined the barriers to training and employment for homeless people.
Source: Peter Singh, A Home, No Job: Moving on from transitional spaces, Off the Streets and into Work (020 7089 2722)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
A report explored the concept of 'daytime homelessness'. It examined the nature and role of daytime provision, meaningful activity and education, training and employment opportunities, for homeless, formerly homeless and vulnerably housed people. Many day services for homeless people had been developed on the basis of questionable assumptions
Source: Anwen Jones and Nicholas Pleace, Daytime Homelessness, Crisis (020 7015 1800)
Links: Report (pdf) | Community Care report
Date: 2005-May
A paper explored the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender homeless people.
Source: Sexuality and Homelessness, Crisis (020 7015 1800)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
An evaluation of government-funded projects working with young runaways found that a lack of accommodation for children aged 14-15 was a major obstacle to resolving their cases.
Source: Working with Young Runaways: An evaluation of 19 Young Runaways Projects 2003-2004, Children s Society (020 7841 4415)
Links: Young People Now report | Children Now report
Date: 2005-May
A report sought to raise awareness of the housing and homelessness problems facing lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Source: Deborah Gold, Sexual Exclusion: Issues and best practice in lesbian, gay and bisexual housing and homelessness, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-May
An independent evaluation said that a project had succeeded in helping people who faced eviction because of their behaviour, or who were the subject of other enforcement action such as anti-social behaviour orders.
Source: Centre for Housing Policy/University of York, Shelter Inclusion Project: Two Years On, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report (pdf) | Shelter press release
Date: 2005-Apr
A report examined the levels and causes of debt amongst homeless young people. Almost a quarter of young homeless people surveyed had been targeted by credit card companies and lenders, via promotional literature sent directly to their hostel.
Source: Lisa Nandy, Too Much, Too Young: Problem debt amongst homeless young people, Centrepoint (020 7426 5300)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Centrepoint press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Apr
A report said that "significant progress" was being made in preventing and tackling homelessness across Scotland.
Source: Helping Homeless People: Homelessness Monitoring Group second report, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report (pdf) | SE press release
Date: 2005-Apr
A report said that children who ran away from home were being forced into prostitution, drugs and crime to survive on the streets. It highlighted the dangerous survival strategies used by children as young as 9 who had run away from home for longer than four weeks. Some disappeared for years, while others never returned.
Source: Emilie Smeaton, Living on the Edge: The experiences of detached young runaways, Children s Society (020 7841 4415)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Children's Society press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
A report said that there had been an improvement in services available to rough sleepers in Scotland, and a significant reduction in the numbers of rough sleepers.
Source: Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Nicholas Pleace and Mark Bevan, Final Evaluation of Rough Sleepers Initiative, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report (pdf) | SE press release
Date: 2005-Mar
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on homelessness.
Source: Government Response to the ODPM Select Committee's Report: Homelessness inquiry, Cm 6490, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report
Date: 2005-Mar
The government published a strategy for tackling homelessness. It included a target to cut the number of households living in temporary accommodation by half by 2010. Funding for homelessness would increase by 23 per cent, from 60 million to 74 million, by 2007-08.
Source: Sustainable Communities: Settled Homes; Changing Lives, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Strategy (pdf) | ODPM press release | CIH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
There were 101,030 households in England at the end of December 2004 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (up 7 per cent on a year earlier).
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England Fourth Quarter 2004, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
An audit report said that significant success had been achieved on key government homelessness targets. There had been large falls in the numbers of people sleeping rough, and of families with children living in bed and breakfast accommodation, as an emergency response to homelessness. But more work remained to be done to address the number of households seeking help, and the rising numbers placed in temporary accommodation. In order to reverse this trend, more effective ways were needed to deal with the wider causes of homelessness, and to prevent it wherever possible.
Source: More than a Roof: Progress in Tackling Homelessness, HC 286 (Session 2004-05), National Audit Office (020 7798 7000)
Links: Report (pdf) | NAO press release
Date: 2005-Feb
Homelessness agencies launched a 10-point manifesto aimed at drawing attention to the plight of homeless people.
Source: Do You Want to End Homelessness?: A 10-point manifesto for the next government, Homeless Link (020 7960 3010)
Links: Manifesto (pdf) | Homeless Link press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Feb
A study which tracked 28 homeless people for a year found that homelessness could be resolved by a bespoke combination of housing and support, developed as circumstances changed.
Source: Carol McNaughton, Crossing the Continuum: Understanding routes out of homelessness and examining what works , Glasgow Simon Community (0141 418 6996)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Community Care report
Date: 2005-Feb
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government should set a target to end the use of bed and breakfast for any homeless household (not just those with children) except as a short-term emergency response. A major building programme of low-cost permanent housing to rent was required for homeless people.
Source: Homelessness, Third Report (Session 2004-05), HC 61, House of Commons Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Centrepoint press release | Shelter press release | Homeless Link press release | Salvation Army press release | Community Care report
Date: 2005-Jan
