There are four main ways in which social housing can be used to prevent and reduce homelessness in the European Union, which also extends to other countries in Europe: 1) Increase general supply of good quality housing available at genuinely affordable rents and offering good security of tenure (long and lifetime tenancy agreements). This can include new building, renovation and retrofitting of existing housing and improvements to neighbourhoods to ensure the best use is being made of available social housing and the purchase and repurposing of private rented sector housing. 2) Enhancing universal prevention of homelessness by reducing the risk that individuals and families will lose housing because rents and mortgages in the private sector are unaffordable. Reductions in the level of ‘hidden’ homelessness, i.e. staying with relatives and friends which is broadly associated with a lack of affordable housing supply. This can be achieved simply by significant increases in much more affordable social housing supply. 3) Better use of existing social housing for people at risk of homelessness and providing enduring routes out of homelessness for people who have experienced it. This centres on enhancement of allocation processes and improvements to joint working across social protection, public health, the homelessness sector and social housing providers. 4) Providing housing for Housing First programmes, an evidence-backed service model for people experiencing homelessness associated with multiple and complex treatment and support needs. Social housing can be of particular benefit to Housing First because it can offer very affordable homes with good security of tenure at what can be a better standard than is offered by private rented sector markets.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)