'The only reason I got a place is I was set on fire': The voices behind Labour's homelessness plan

Today (11 December), the government has released its long-awaited homelessness strategy. Working alongside national homelessness charities Groundswell and Justlife Foundation, the National Expert Citizens Group (NECG – a group for people experiencing multiple disadvantage which Revolving Doors facilitates) has been closely involved in its development.

Together, we supported people with lived experience of homelessness to co-design and convene four forums, exploring their personal experiences of homelessness and developing proposals for change. Their insights painted a vivid picture of the scale of the crisis. When it comes to the delivery of this strategy, the government cannot afford to fall short.

Those we spoke to described a reactive system focused on short-term fixes to emergency problems, where they have little choice or control over what is happening to them.

People struggle to navigate labyrinthine services which aren’t joined up and which don’t speak to each other. As one participant said: “There’s an assumption that if you are homeless that you are good enough to go and fight for your rights, challenge the system and do everything. Not really when you are homeless and traumatised.” Lost in the system, many do not understand their rights or options, meaning that decisions are made for them rather than with them.

The acute housing shortage overshadowed all discussions. Whilst it’s vital that wider issues around homelessness are addressed and tackled, the fundamental practical issue is that there is simply not enough housing; nor money, staff or resources.

Councils are totally overwhelmed by demand. Their staff are overloaded and burned out. The knock-on effect is that they fail to meet their responsibilities – not just to house people, but to fulfil wider statutory duties. The protections and promises of support outlined in legislation don’t happen in practice. People have to hit rock bottom before support is offered. One participant reported, shockingly, that “the only reason that I’ve actually got a place at the minute is because I was set on fire”.

The barriers to housing for those actively experiencing homelessness are therefore sky-high. The state of temporary accommodation – where available – is appalling. Unsafe, unclean, undignified; wholly unsuitable for the vulnerable individuals and families it houses.

Read more:

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Participants described the impact on their children’s education, health and wellbeing from sleeping in mouldy bedrooms, without a space to play or a proper kitchen. Temporary accommodation was described as “financially devastating”, putting people into debt and keeping them trapped in homelessness. Participants felt hopeless, “wishing their lives away” in the fruitless wait for a real home.

The psychological effect of this cannot be understated: of feeling “like you’re being dropped into a deep hole and you can’t get out”. The instability, marginalisation and stress of homelessness, and the mental and emotional strain of trying and failing to navigate the system means that trauma in homelessness is guaranteed. This often compounds existing pain from unaddressed health and social needs including poverty, mental health issues, adverse childhood experiences and domestic abuse.

Against all this, it’s tempting to lose hope. Yet it does exist. The government’s homelessness strategy is an opportunity for change that cannot be wasted – providing the commitments it makes go beyond words on a page and into concrete actions.

A long-term commitment, both in terms of funding and focus, is essential to ending the homelessness crisis. Increased investment, new targets across government departments and a new “duty to collaborate” are welcome: homelessness must become a priority.

The strategy’s promise of more joined-up support will be key to its success. Someone’s first interaction with services is a make-or-break moment. There should be more signposting and information, plus major investment in a properly-trained workforce – preferably including those with lived experience of homelessness themselves.

The same goes for transitions out of homelessness, ensuring that those who have been let down previously get the long-overdue support they need, including to process the trauma they have faced.

The focus on prevention is also hugely welcome. By providing trauma-informed, holistic support which focuses on the unmet needs that heighten the risk of homelessness, people can get the help they need before it’s too late, and before they face the additional trauma of homelessness.

Finally, people like our members, with personal experience of homelessness, offer insight, solutions and hope. Their involvement in the strategy’s development is promising, but this must carry through into its implementation. This is vital to building a homelessness system that responds to and understands people’s needs, helping rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.

Our members closed their foreword to the strategy by highlighting that they are living proof that “with the right support at the right time, things can change.” We urge the government to keep them in mind. There is a chance to break the cycle: we can only hope they take it.

Katy Savage is director of partnerships at criminal justice charity Revolving Doors.

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