News and updates

Orwell Prize shortlist: Almost one million facing eviction

Read Daniel Hewitt's article that was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness. Published in November 2022, the article takes a closer look at the millions of people who were facing eviction just before Christmas.

Orwell Prize shortlist: Hidden homelessness is about to get worse

Read Freya Marshall Payne's article which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Reporting homelessness. The article raises concerns for women and their safety after the pandemic.

Orwell Prize shortlist: Being homeless felt inevitable

In this blog, Daniel Levelle, George Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness finalist shares one of his submissions which explores his experience of homelessness after leaving care.

Will Renters Reform Bill protect households from homelessness?

As legislation to give new legal right for tenants in England is introduced, our head of implementation and policy Rob Anderson considers their impact on the private rented sector

Key questions we’ll be exploring and answering at Impact Forum: Cardiff

Curious to learn more about the Impact Forum: Cardiff? In this blog we unveil the key questions that will be explored, from supporting marginalised communities to challenging perceptions and addressing the root causes of homelessness. Find out more about how to get your free ticket to the event on May 24.

Homelessness, disability, and the urgent need for inclusive solutions

Homelessness and disability form an intersection that poses unique challenges for those affected. From overlooked barriers to hidden statistics, this blog delves into the complexities of this issue, urging for evidence-based, inclusive solutions to bring an end to this pressing social problem.

The evidence for national standards and better data for supported housing

The National Audit Office (NAO) has published an investigation into supported housing. In this blog, Helen Hodgson, Director for Housing, Communities and Local Government Value for Money studies at the NAO talks about some of the issues the team found and government actions to address them.

Barriers faced by people with disabilities in exiting homelessness

Find out more about our latest report that reveals that people with disabilities face numerous challenges in getting support and exiting homelessness, including a lack of diagnosis, unsuitable environments, and a shortage of accessible housing.

Introducing our new 'what works' evidence building evaluation panel

Introducing the Evaluation Panel - a group of 25 leading organisations with diverse methodological expertise and interests working together to build evidence of 'what works' in housing and homelessness.

For a centre focused on homelessness, the value of collaboration is clear

In this thought-provoking blog, Michael Sanders highlights the value of collaboration and the need to address inequality and intersectionality in efforts to combat homelessness through the What Works Centres.

London’s street homelessness decreases, but still higher than last year

Find out more about the new data from CHAIN, which reveals a decrease in street homelessness in London during January - March 2023, although the numbers remain higher compared to the same period last year.

Assessing value for money in homelessness services

As UK spending on housing people in temporary accommodation increases, our Head of Value for Money, Matthew Wilkins, explains his goal of creating a practical framework for measuring spending on homelessness, starting with temporary accommodation, and developing recommendations for governments and agencies involved in homelessness.

Homelessness and mental health: The need for tailored support services

In this blog, Stacey Kelly, our Communications Lead talks about our latest Evidence Note that looks at mental health and homelessness and how more needs to be done to improve the evidence base in this area.

Research-based solutions in refreshed Evidence Notes series

Find out more about our plans to update our series of Evidence Notes that incorporate the latest research and most recent data on what works to support people out of homelessnesss.

Using data to end long-term rough sleeping

In this blog, Fraser Nicholson, details the challenges faced by seaside towns like Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole, and how they're using the Ending Rough Sleeping Framework to help tackle the complex issue of rough sleeping.

Impact Forum: Cardiff update

We have changed the date of our Impact Forum to 24th May. The event FAQs in this blog post will answer any questions about the change of the event date and how it might affect you.

Rising homelessness must be matched by better evidence to tailor solutions

Hear from the Centre's CEO, Dr Ligia Teixeira, on the latest rough sleeping statistics and why we must do everything we can to ensure that this rise in homelessness does not gain further momentum.

Using data to guide and track work to end rough sleeping

Find out more about a new data-driven approach that will give fresh insights into the nature of rough sleeping in each area of England and help local leaders drive progress towards ending it. 

New data points the way to ending rough sleeping for good

A new data-driven approach to tackling rough sleeping will give fresh insights into the nature of rough sleeping in each area of England and help local leaders drive progress towards ending it.

Effectiveness Evidence and Gap Map: Fifth Edition

We are excited to launch the Fifth Edition of the Effectiveness Evidence and Gap Map, which focusses on causal or 'what works' evidence and now contains 692 studies.

Join us at our next Impact Forum

We're excited to invite you to our Impact Forum, which will be taking place in Cardiff on 24th May 2023. Find out more about how to get involved in the event, either in person or online, and book your free ticket.

What works to address ethnic inequalities and homelessness?

In this blog, our CEO, Dr Lígia Teixeira, talks about the importance of tackling poverty and underlying disadvantage to address the over representation of ethnic minority groups experiencing homelessness.

Over-representation of ethnic minorities experiencing homelessness across the UK

Find out more about our latest policy paper which calls for specific interventions to relieve and prevent homelessness among people from ethnic minorities to address stark inequalities among people who are assessed as homeless.

Open call to join our panel of evaluators

Find out more about how to apply to join our new panel of evaluators which will demonstrate a wide range of interests and expertise in the evaluation of housing and homelessness programmes and interventions.

Person-centred health and social care for people experiencing homelessness

In this blog, our CEO, Dr Lígia Teixeira, talks about the importance of developing an implementation manual that will help to improve health and social care for people experience homelessness.

New advice on practical ways to improve health and social care for people experiencing homelessness

Advice for clinicians, service providers and commissioners on practical ways to improve health and social care for people experiencing homelessness has been published for the first time by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI).

Make a resolution for 2023: play your part in bringing an end to homelessness

In this blog post, our Public Affairs Lead, Rhuaraidh Fleming invites you to make a resolution for 2023: to play a part in bringing an end to homelessness by signing our pledge to End It With Evidence.

How does the public perceive homelessness

In this blog, our CEO Lígia Teixeira discusses some of the results from our IPSOS poll that looks at how the public perceives homelessness.

Challenging negative representations of homelessness

In this blog, our Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Greg Hurst, talks about the role our new image library will play in challenging negative representations of homelessness by capturing the true experiences of people experiencing homelessness.

Introducing the first free library non-stigmatising images of people experiencing homelessness

Find out more about our library of non-stigmatising images of people experiencing homelessness that seeks to challenge negative representations and discrimination of people experiencing homelessness.

Cost of living puts pressure on young people’s housing and mental health

According to new research commissioned from Ipsos by the Centre for Homelessness Impact, more than half of renters and almost half of people with mortgages are concerned about their ability to pay their housing costs in 12 months’ time. 

Looking back on the year

We have achieved a lot in our work to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in 2022. Join our staff from across the Centre as they reflect on their highlights from the year.

Proactive debt outreach - Why do Local Authorities send residents who are vulnerable and cannot pay their debts to court?

Labour leader of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Darren Rodwell, talks about how the application of data has enabled the council to identify people who need support and work with them to achieve better outcomes.

The philosophy of using evidence to end homelessness

Our CEO, Ligia Teixeira, spoke at a graduation ceremony at the Glasgow University and explained her commitment to empirical evidence to end homelessness.

Comparing data on homelessness deaths

How do data on homelessness deaths compare across the UK? This blogpost summarises the different data sources used.

Five questions we'll explore at our upcoming Impact Forum

In our upcoming Impact Forum, on 15 + 16 November, we’ll be bringing together global evidence of interventions to prevent and relieve homelessness, looking at what works to prevent worsening homelessness in a cost of living emergency. Find out more about the topics we'll be exploring.

‘There’s so much more to homelessness employment work than job outcomes’

In July, some of our Implementation team visited The Passage in Westminster, to find out more about their Employment support programme, Tracks Employment and Training.

Introducing the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness

In this blog, Greg Hurst, our Head of Commnications and Public Affairs and former Journalist at The Times, writes about how the Centre wants to encourage and celebrate fastidious, dispassionate and person-centred reporting and story-telling through the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness. 

New Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness coming soon

We are excited to share that we are launching a new prize alongside The Orwell Foundation, aimed at highlighting issues around homelessness and celebrating the art of evidence-led storytelling.

Join us online in November for our Impact Forum

We're excited to share the details of our upcoming Impact Forum taking place on 15 and 16 November. The theme of this online event is Riding out the storm: How can we prevent worsening homelessness in a cost of living emergency?

Young people who spend time in care face greater risks of homelessness in adulthood

Michael Sanders, a Professor of Public Policy at King’s College London, and Ella Whelan, a Research Associate at What Works for Children’s Social Care discuss the shortage of evidence of what works to prevent homelessness among this group, and why the evidence gap urgently needs to be addressed.

New approaches needed to reduce risk of homelessness among young people growing up in care

Many young people leaving care are at higher risk of homelessness. Find out more about how homelessness amongst children leaving care can be prevented in our latest report.

We can't afford to wait to fill in the gaps in evidence on LGBTQ+ homelessness

In this blog post, Dr Ligia Teixeira, Chief Executive of the Centre for Homelessness Impact, talks about the importance of filling the gaps in our evidence about what works to end homelessness in the light of the publication of our latest policy paper on Sexuality, gender identity and homelessness.

LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience homelessness, but little is known about the instances and experiences

There are many reasons why people who identify as LGBTQ+ may be at greater risk of homelessness. Find out more about our latest paper that highlights the shortage of robust research into instances and experiences of homelessness among people who identify as LGBTQ+, and that relevant data is incomplete or, at best, partial.

2022 Evidence and Skills Sprints: learning from Aberdeenshire County Council

What is a sprint, and how can it help you in your work to end homelessness? We caught up with the whole team at Aberdeenshire County Council to see why they made the decision to attend all three of our What Works Community sprints, what they thought, and what’s next for this Scottish Local Authority.

People experiencing homelessness still poorly treated when it comes to primary care

Hear from Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE on the importance of providing primary care services to people affected by homelessness, and making sure those services treat patients with dignity and respect, never refusing them treatment on the basis of address.

The six values that steer the Centre for Homelessness Impact

Explore our organisational values and how they help to drive our mission to mission is to use data and evidence to act as a catalyst for change to help end homelessness sustainably.

Defining an end to rough sleeping

It is the first time a government has has adopted a meaningful definition of ending rough sleeping. Rob Anderson explores the definition, which we co-designed with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and how it is underpinned by a data-led framework.

Introducing the Third Edition of our Implementation Evidence and Gap Map

Find out more about the third edition of our Implementation Issues Evidence and Gap Map in partnership with The Campbell Collaboration.

Case study: Hull City Council

Working with the Centre for Homelessness Impact's implementation team enabled Hull City Council to use data to address a 'revolving door' problem of repeat homelessness presentations

The impact of providing people housing outside their local area: An Evaluation of HomeFinder UK

Find out more about our plans for evaluating HomeFinder UK and how it will enable us to better understand how approaches to out of area moves impact people.

What can universities do to prevent homelessness?

What has homelessness got to do with universities? The responses to this question may range from a puzzled shrug to an emphatic ‘nothing’. Is not ending homelessness the responsibility of the state, some will ask? The prevalence of homelessness tends to be higher in university towns and cities, in some cases strikingly so. 

Could universities do more to prevent homelessness?

Universities should do more to track and prevent homelessness among their students and can play a significant, wider role in supporting efforts to end all forms of homelessness, our latest policy paper published in partnership with the Higher Education Policy Institute argues.

Addressing the evidence gap in using social investment to tackle homelessness

New solutions to addressing homelessness have never been more important. Ending rough-sleeping in England by the end of this parliament remains a UK government commitment, but the challenge is likely to get tougher during the current cost of living crisis. Social investment could be one solution. Find out more about the Everyone In Social Investment pilot and how it will help to address the evidence gap in the role of social investment in ending homelessness.

What makes a hostel effective?

In this blog Jeremy Swain, as associate at CHI, outlines the of research into hostels. He makes the case that the sector needs a shared agreement about what defines a hostel, stronger evidence of which types of provision are effective for different groups and an improved understanding of the role of hostels as part of a system of services intended to help people escape homelessness. Jeremy’s experiences as CEO of Thames Reach and senior advisor to the government’s Rough Sleeping Taskforce provide multifaceted insights into of the nature of the sector and challenges it faces.

A vision for ending rough sleeping in England

We were thrilled to work alongside the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to facilitate a conversation with more than 200 local authority rough sleeping teams across the country.

Assessing the effectiveness and implementation of psychosocial interventions

We are delighted to be collaborating with Manchester Metropolitan University on two systematic reviews into psychosocial interventions.

Improving tenancy sustainment in the private rented sector

Our Head of Evidence and Data, Guillermo Rodríguez-Guzmán highlights the multiple opportunities ahead to improve tenancy sustainment in the PRS from our latest report with the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research.

Tackling tenancy insecurity in the private rented sector to prevent homelessness – what works?

Our latest report with the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) highlights that more could be done within the Private Rented Sector to prevent homelessness.

Breaking new ground in Scottish Parliament

Our Public Affairs Lead, Rhuaraidh Fleming, reflects on how taking part in the inaugural Evidence Week at the Scottish Parliament broke new ground for us at the Centre.

Our first Evidence + Skill Sprints: what we’ve learned and who from

We brought together colleagues from local authorities across Scotland, England and Wales for our first Accelerator sprints, our new intensive offer to help build capacity within local areas to use evidence and data to achieve breakthrough and sustainable results. Here we tell you what we learned, and what’s next for the What Works Community.

Why we must change the way we talk and think about homelessness

Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife, explains why she has decided to become an ambassador to our End It With Evidence campaign to press for evidence-led change to improve the lives of people who experience or are at risk of homelessness.

Fourth Edition of Evidence and Gap Maps Effectiveness Report highlights encouraging growth in rigorous evidence

There has been encouraging growth in the evidence base, but there are still gaps that need to be filled, particularly in the UK.

Homelessness and the pandemic: London

London brought thousands of people in to safe accommodation during the pandemic but the 'flow' towards street homelessness continued despite significant interventions, writes Rob Anderson

Homelessness and the pandemic: Toronto

Toronto experienced the longest lockdown of any city during the pandemic, which added to severe pressure on its already stretched shelter system' writes Athlyn Cathcart-Keays

First step to defining an end to rough sleeping

What will it mean to end rough sleeping in England? The Centre is working with the UK Government and five local areas to develop a definition of success

Homelessness and the pandemic: Budapest

Hungary's prime minister controversially criminalised street homelessness but during the pandemic Budapest's opposition party mayor took a different approach, writes Linda Butcher

Getting housed didn’t solve all of my problems; it was only the start

To create positive, long term results for people who have experienced homelessness, it is vital to ensure that social support is adequately provided for those who need it.

Homelessness and the pandemic: Paris

When the pandemic struck in Paris, layers of bureaucracy were unclogged and local charities pooled their resources under a single umbrella to support people affected by homelessness, writes Rebecca Rosman

Homelessness and the pandemic: Houston

When Covid-19 swept America, the city of Houston used its experience of responding to natural disasters to protect citizens experiencing homelessness by moving thousands directly into permanent housing, writes Greg Hurst

Homelessness and the pandemic: Tokyo

Tokyo has among the lowest rates of street homelessness in the world but homelessness is widely blamed on individuals and seen as a source of shame, writes Malcolm Foster

Homelessness and the pandemic: San Francisco

San Francisco faced the challenge of keeping people experiencing homelessness safe during the pandemic in a city with 40 large encampments, writes Athlyn Cathcart-Keays

Homelessness: What Can We Learn From Pandemic’s Surprising Success Story?

A report by The Centre for Homelessness Impact and The International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) suggests there are major policy lessons to be learned in order to tackle homelessness.

Are public attitudes towards homelessness changing?

In a 2021 survey conducted by Ipsos MORI for the Centre for Homelessness Impact, results show that public opinion has hardened towards homelessness, with fewer people concerned about the issue, and a fall in sympathy for people affected by homelessness.

CHI partners with NICE to improve access to health and social care for people experiencing homelessness

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI) have jointly published a guideline on ways to improve access to and engagement with health and social care services for people experiencing homelessness.

Can social investment accelerate an end to homelessness?

The potential for social investment is big. What promise does it hold? Whether it is helping someone off the streets, into work, or tenancy sustainment: any outcome comes with a clear social return. But also a financial one, as we pay out less in costly remedial interventions.

Our key takeaways from the 2021 England street homelessness snapshot

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland snapshot surveys take place each autumn to record the number of people experiencing street homelessness on a given night. Read our key takeaways from the Rough sleeping snapshot in England: autumn 2021.

Special Edition of the European Journal of Homelessness

Centre for Homelessness Impact produces a special edition of the European Journal of Homelessness to inspire the next generation of researchers by providing the best examples of robust evaluation and ‘knowledge into practice’ from the Global North.

One-day Homelessness Impact Forum to take place on 27 January

Our Homelessness Impact Forum returns for one day in January and features a fantastic line up of speakers and performers including Andy Burnham, Shona Robison MSP, Julie James MS, Josh LIttlejohn MBE and lived experience experts, journalists, artists and homelessness sector practitioners.

Introducing the UK’s first programme of cash transfers to relieve homelessness

We are pleased to be taking part in a ground-breaking programme which will test out an intervention to support people impacted by or at risk of homelessness.

Smarter investments to end homelessness: what works?

In this moment of great change, if we are to achieve our shared ambition to end homelessness for good, we must use this opportunity to understand how to end it effectively and sustainably.

Reflections of the past year and looking ahead to 2022

As we enter another year of the unknown, we wanted to share some of the highlights of the last 12 months and look ahead at what’s to come in the new year.

Innovation during Covid - wrapping up our 2021 What Works Community

2021 has been an extraordinary year for local authorities tackling homelessness. In this post we hear about What Works Community members’ experiences of bringing innovation and an evidence-based mindset to their homelessness work in the context of the pandemic.

At-a-glance evidence of what works to end homelessness

Summaries of existing research into how to relieve and prevent homelessness are to be published in a series of short papers by the Centre for Homelessness Impact.

Money spent on housing support could be used more effectively, new joint report finds

A new report by the Chartered institute of Housing (CIH) and the Centre for Homelessness Impact highlights that money spent on housing support could be used more effectively.

An evidence-based approach to tackling homelessness health inequalities

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how social inequality has implications for public health: rates of infection were much higher in communities where overcrowded households were more common. We know that the most extreme form of housing inequality is homelessness and it is here that health inequalities have, for decades, been greatest. 

Ending homelessness: What would it take?

Sir Michael Barber, who was head of Tony Blair’s Delivery Unit from 2001-05 and set up a similar unit for Boris Johnson, is to advise the Centre for Homelessness Impact on delivering its mission to support the use of evidence to end homelessness. He explains why.

Ending homelessness must be central to 'levelling up'

Dame Julia Unwin says economic recovery and investing in 'disadvantaged' communities is doomed to fail unless it addresses homelessness

Common barriers to innovative and experimental policymaking in Local Authorities

As we wrap up the second round of our What Works Community programme, we reflect on three problems that crop up time and again.

Centre For Homelessness Impact joins forces with Comic Relief

The Centre For Homelessness Impact (CHI) has forged a new partnership with Comic Relief to accelerate its work to bring a ‘what works’ approach to ending homelessness in more communities across the United Kingdom.

Building a ‘what works’ movement to end homelessness for good

New partnership between Comic Relief and CHI will scale up capacity for evidence-led change.

Time for homelessness services to listen to the individual

MHCLG’s latest evaluation is significant for its rigorous evaluation of a promising model of homelessness prevention. Ligia Teixeira, CEO of The Centre for Homelessness Impact, explains why we should pay attention.

Using evidence to analyse and improve impact

How the homelessness charity Reconnect UK rethought its strategy thanks to one of our evidence surgeries

Radical collaboration to achieve lasting change

Consultant and strategist Lizzie Hodgson offered some inspiration to our What Works Community cohort as we wrapped up the first full year of the programme

Using data and young people's lived experiences to 'design out' homelessness

The chief executive of St Basils describes how weaving data on performance with evidence from our young people’s lived experiences provides a richer, truer picture

Gendered approaches have been neglected for too long within housing policy. It's time for a new approach.

Leanna Fairfax has experienced first-hand the lack of consideration for women experiencing homelessness and violence, here she discusses the importance of a gendered approach to homelessness and housing policy.

Better support needed for women who become homeless because of violence

Based on research published today, CHI and the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) call for responses to women experiencing homelessness and violence, to be “gender-informed.”

Time to look at outcomes, not spending

The public need the tools to determine whether they’re getting value for money, says former Treasury official and Centre for Homelessness Impact chair of trustees Andrew Hudson

Real experiences are vital in the evidence-led transformation of the field

Hannah Green, our Communications and Lived Experiences Specialist, discusses the importance of using real-life stories as evidence to end homelessness.

How sharing international insights can help advance progress on ending homelessness for good

Suzanne Fitzpatrick and Dennis Culhane discuss the importance of evidence to researchers on both sides of the Atlantic, and how these distinct research traditions can collaborate to #EndItWithEvidence.