Wednesday, 12 September 2018

Homelessness - Parliamentary Written Answer


Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons contributing to trends in the level of homelessness.
Nigel Adams: The evidence suggests the causation of homelessness and rough sleeping is complex and that there is no single trigger or event. A complex interaction of individual factors (eg relationship breakdown, drug and alcohol abuse), structural factors and protective factors are likely to influence whether a person becomes homeless during their lifetime, as well as affect their ability to find a home. To further our understanding on the causes of homelessness and rough sleeping we have committed to conduct a feasibility study - led by MHCLG, and co-funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. The long-term ambition for this research is to develop a quantitative, predictive model (or models) of homelessness and rough sleeping, which can be applied to various policy scenarios, to help assess the impacts of government intervention on levels of homelessness. This will be supported by an evidence review on the broad range of factors that might influence levels of homelessness, from the housing market to welfare systems, as well as individual factors.

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