WIREDGOV

With homeless numbers up 33% since 2010, although the scale of the problem may not come as a surprise, it is clear that public want action on the issue.

An overwhelming majority of people in the UK – 8 out of 10 people to be precise – think that local government needs to do more to help those who are homeless or at risk of losing their home.

For already overstretched homeless charities and council services, the scale of public support for tackling homelessness will be welcome news.

While demand for help has been going up, investment in the issue has been going in the opposite direction. Around half of homeless services have reported significant reductions to their budgets for the past two years running. The cumulative effects of this are becoming all too clear.

Since homeless numbers started to rise, 133 services have closed, 4000+ bed spaces have been lost and the number of full-time staff working with homeless people has fallen by 16%.

Not only is this undermining the vital help that people get when they are homeless it is also having an impact on communities. In our annual survey of the sector last year, over half of services that had seen funding cut reported an increase in local rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour.

So why is this happening? Seven in ten of us think investing in homelessness is a sensible use of tax payers’ money and benefits our communities – so why is investment going in the opposite direction of demand?

The obvious answer is that councillors currently face tough financial decisions. Given the difficult choice of cutting care for the elderly or homeless adults, they opt for the one that you think your voters would most support. Who wouldn’t?

There is also the postcode lottery of funding decisions. We know of councils that have maintained investment in vital homelessness services, while others have reduced funding by up to 80%.

However, there is also another factor. Although the public can see that investment makes logical sense, as a sector we need to get across the full case for funding.

We need to show not just the difference services make to individuals but also the social and economic return this then brings to communities.

For example, a recent independent evaluation of a service provided by one of our members found that, because they had prevented homelessness in such a high number of cases, the local council that commissioned the project saved £26 for every £1 it invested.

You won’t find such significant savings in every case, but it does illustrate the point that if homelessness services did not exist, if their annual help to over 40,000 people did not happen, the cost to the tax payer would be considerably more.

We need to argue that investment in helping someone who is homeless today, to realise their potential tomorrow, is one worth making. We need to highlight what society will lose if this does not happen.

Pay it Forward

That’s why we have launched a new campaign called ‘Pay it Forward’. A campaign we’d like you to support.

If you’re a homeless service, we want to hear how you are making a difference and help you make the local case for funding.

If you’re a councillor who’s already backing investment, your voice could help make a difference to your peers.

If you’re one of the 8 in 10 people who believe more needs to be done, you can take the next step and support your local charities.

Whoever you are, you can join with us to help pay it forward.