Housing First Worcestershire
In September 2023, an Independent Service Evaluation, conducted by the University of Worcester concluded that the project “had proven to be a positive life change for the majority of participants (approx. 80%)”
Positives of HF:
- More complex customers have been accommodated than has historically been the case, and they have mainly maintained their tenancies
- There have been fewer evictions than expected under the scheme
- HF takes a lot of pressure off probation services and provides support that probation cannot. Approximately a third of HF participants have been through probation and they would not have been homed in Worcestershire without the HF service
- Without the support of HF staff, housing providers would not be able to take participants with the very complex and sometimes chaotic issues that the current cohort exhibits
- Good relationships were reported with St Paul’s management and HF staff
- The benefits of the HF scheme reach far beyond housing – such as health and service demand etc. There is a degree of dependency on HF and statutory services to often ‘keep away’ due to the comprehensive service that HF provides
- Not all people are ‘homeable’ and there is no other specialist accommodation in Worcestershire
Social Value of Housing First
The HACT (Housing Action Charitable Trust 2021) has developed a well-respected UK Social Value Bank which contains a suite of 88 outcomes: each outcome has a defined value, which incorporates a wellbeing and health amount (positive impacts to the physical and/or mental wellbeing of those affected) and, where applicable, an Exchequer value (savings to the public purse as a result of these positive changes – e.g., reduced GP visits or ambulance callouts due to improved health). Using the HACT methodology and available data from a cohort of 25 HF participants, Platform Housing ran data supplied by St Paul’s management regarding the wellbeing and health outcomes of Worcestershire’s HF scheme. This exercise resulted gives an estimation of a social value of £444,000 having been occasioned to date.
Impact on Prison Costs
20 out of the 35 HF participants for whom data was available, had a history of custodial sentencing, amounting to a total of 59 years during their lifetimes, at a cost to the public purse of £2,655M. The equivalent figure since coming onto the scheme has been that HF participants have spent a total of almost three years between them in custody at a total cost of £135,000. Twelve participants with a previous history of custodial sentencing, have kept out of prison since joining the scheme. Although there are no facts and figures regarding how this very significant change in prison time affects a lessening of demand on services such as probation, police and health and social care services, there must be an argument that Worcestershire HF scheme brings both human and financial to other stakeholder services.
- “S”– has a long history of drug use, heroin, and crack cocaine. He has had a very difficult and traumatic life; he has suffered from depression and anxiety since his early teens and has used maladaptive coping strategies of drugs to help him cope. He has not had stable accommodation for over 15 years after running away from his care placement. He has spent time between temporary accommodation, sofa surfing and rough sleeping. Since accessing Housing First project, he has moved into his own self-contained flat, which he has sustained with support for over 15 months. He has not received any housing complaints; his rent account is in credit and all utility bills are up to date. He has now been free from heroin for over 12 months. With support from Housing First, he now attends all medical and drug service appointments. He engages well with a Peer Support Worker (managed by Housing First) and enjoys going for coffees, magnet fishing, walks, and has recently applied for his passport with the hope of going on holiday soon
Since April 2023, Housing First has dealt with 43 cases with 77% of current cases being in settled accommodation.