The latest housing policies claim to deliver real change – but do they deliver for the residents CENS see every day?
The UK government has launched a series of ambitious policies aimed at addressing homelessness and housing insecurity – but will they work? We ask Marina Woodrow, manager of CENS, for her insider opinion on how these policies will affect those experiencing homelessness in Colchester.
Better than cure?
Nearly £1 billion has been pledged to combat homelessness, focusing on prevention rather than just response. This includes over £633 million allocated through the Homelessness Prevention Grant to assist local councils in preventing homelessness and providing temporary accommodation. An additional £185.6 million is designated for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, supporting councils in offering immediate assistance to those at risk.
Further funds are directed toward long-term accommodation support, substance abuse treatment, and initiatives like the Changing Futures Programme, which helps individuals facing multiple disadvantages.
Impact: This investment aims to reduce the number of people becoming homeless by addressing root causes and providing necessary support services.
Marina’s thoughts: “While the increased focus on prevention is of course needed, this funding has been reallocated, which has led to less of a budget for temporary accommodation. This puts even more of a financial strain on Local Authorities and charities like CENS. However, we continue to work alongside Colchester Borough Homes and have had a positive increase of people we move on from CENS. So, we may be getting more referrals, but we’re seeing better outcomes too. We also work alongside some fantastic agencies such as Open Road, Reach Out which is a therapy service and Beacon House which will all equip our residents to cope once they leave CENS.”
(Marina is Manager of CENS)
Building Hope
The government has injected £2 billion into the Affordable Homes Programme, aiming to deliver up to 18,000 new social and affordable homes in 2025. This initiative is part of a broader plan to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the current parliament.
Impact: By increasing the supply of affordable housing, there are more options for those at risk of homelessness, reducing reliance on temporary accommodations and offering long-term stability.
Marina’s thoughts: “Despite the substantial investment, I doubt this is going to be achieved in the next four years. There are already reports of a significant shortfall and building delays. The quality and maintenance of social housing continue to be areas requiring attention. We have recently purchased a property which once completed will be accommodation for six more residents. It might seem like a drop in the ocean, but to the people who move in there it’s much-needed, high-quality accommodation.”
Wrap Around Support
This year, the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) was introduced. It’s focus is on providing long-term accommodation for adults experiencing multiple disadvantages, including young people under 25 who are at risk of experiencing rough sleeping. The idea is to offer wrap-around support, not just housing, to help people sustain independent, stable living conditions.
Impact: SHAP seeks to fill critical gaps of support for those people most at risk of homelessness.
Marina’s thoughts: “Many programs under SHAP focus too much on housing people quickly. While this is important, wrap-around support such as mental health care, substance misuse services and employment help are not well integrated with housing solutions. The support staff offer at CENS, plus the sign posting to outside agencies are really important part of residents’ stay. We know that this support really works as we’ve seen a decrease in the number of people needing our service for a second time.
Marina’s final thoughts: “These plans show there is momentum, but the road is still long. Without sustained funding and scaled-up efforts, these policies might be more bandage than cure. We continue to take our time to find suitable accommodation and have two move-on properties. We collaborate with mental health, substance misuse agencies and debt agencies to ensure those we help get the best chance of a fresh start.”
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