No Place Like Home

Homelessness and rough sleeping are on the rise in England.

In 2024, rough sleeping was up 20 per cent on the previous year, and 91 per cent since the COVID-19 pandemic. The years following the success of ‘Everyone In’ have been marked by rising homelessness, increasingly visible on the streets of England’s cities and towns. Rough sleeping is just the tip of the iceberg. Last year, English councils spent £2.3 billion on temporary accommodation, a crisis that is pushing local authorities to the point of bankruptcy.

Over the last seven years, Housing First has been shown to be the most effective and well-evidenced intervention to end homelessness for Britain’s most disadvantaged and entrenched rough sleepers.
Without a commitment to rolling it out further, the government will struggle to meet its manifesto commitment by the end of the Parliament.

In this report, made possible by the Steve Morgan Foundation, we make the case for a targeted expansion of Housing First in England, to deliver 5,571 places by 2029/30. This would scale-out the success of the three national pilots in Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester and West Midlands, ensuring that every English region has access to an equivalent Housing First intervention.

Alongside a cross-government strategy that is focused on prevention, a national Housing First programme will respond to the most severe consequences of homelessness, by targeting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged cohort.

Steve Morgan CBE

Housing First begins with a simple but powerful principle: a permanent home. From that solid foundation, people can access the tailored, wraparound support they need to address deep-rooted challenges. It’s an approach rooted in common sense, recognising that no one can rebuild their life whilst trapped in an endless cycle of homelessness, emergency accommodation, and crisis services.

Andy Burnham – Mayor of Greater Manchester

The Labour government was elected on a promise to end sticking plaster solutions. Housing First is exactly that: a long-term, ambitious, and transformational policy that works to end homelessness for the vast majority of people supported by it. I welcome this report by the CSJ which sets out a clear path for how the government can support the scale-up of Housing First across England, so that every region can share in the success we’ve seen here in Greater Manchester.

Steve Rotheram – Mayor of the Liverpool City Region

Housing First is not just a successful pilot – it’s a model for reform. We’ve proven it works. Now we need to match that with ambition, and make it the foundation of a national mission to end homelessness for good.