Homeless Link welcomes the Conservative Party’s Homelessness Foundation and the new £700,000 ESRC research programme into multiple exclusion homelessness

Yesterday, David Cameron launched the Conservative Party’s Homelessness Foundation. He set out the Conservative Party’s ambition to “once and for all - end homelessness in our country… We have some of the most compassionate and caring people in the country who know how to get results and get peoples' lives back on track. We can tackle homelessness. I mean it.”

The Homelessness Foundation is intended to help show the way. Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link will chair its Advisory Panel, which Mr Cameron described as “ the best minds in the business - all the leaders of all the major homeless charities in our country” who will be “ working with the Foundation so that when we come to government we have a real, proper and serious plan to deal with this social evil”.

At the same time, at the national homelessness research conference, Homeless Link announced that the ESRC has committed to funding and coordinating a groundbreaking new research programme into improving the evidence base around “multiple exclusion homelessness” which will start this year. The fund totals £700,000 and includes funding from the Housing Corporation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Communities & Local Government and the Department of Health.

Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link, the umbrella organisation for frontline homelessness agencies in England, said: “We applaud these two initiatives. Such significant moves on the same day reveal that there is now intense interest in finding the solutions to the long-standing social evil of homelessness for once and for all. Everyone recognises that the causes are complex and diverse but we know that solutions exist, they are found every day for individuals. Now is the time for evidence of the systemic causes of homelessness which can inform plans of action at every level to cut off the feeder routes and prevent homelessness before it begins.”

Both initiatives focus on a holistic and in-depth approach to the needs and experience of individuals and identifying points where systems fail. Jenny added “This is a pivotal moment where we are on the path to understand and solve the causes of homelessness.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. About Homeless Link

Homeless Link is the national membership organisation for frontline homelessness agencies in England. Our mission is to be a catalyst that will help to bring an end to homelessness. Our two goals are:

o To raise standards in the services that support homeless people and tackle homelessness o To influence the development of policy, strategy and investment at all levels of government.

Homeless Link’s member organisations provide services through: hostels, day centres, outreach and resettlement agencies, housing advice centres, youth projects, health projects, welfare rights groups, regional and sub-regional homelessness networks, refuges, drug and alcohol services and church groups. www.homeless.org.uk www.endhomelessness.org.uk

2. About Homeless Link’s Homelessness Research Forum The Research Forum was set up in 2003, initially funded by Joseph Rowntree Foundation. It is co-ordinated and chaired by Homeless Link. Any member of Homeless Link can join the Forum. The purpose of the Forum is to increase the co-ordination and quality of homelessness research. Members include academics, individual researchers and voluntary sector staff.

3. About the ESRC research programme The fund totals £700,000 and includes funding from the Housing Corporation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Communities & Local Government and the Department of Health. A proposed time scale and call for papers is currently being drawn up and will be advertised as soon as they are finalised. Homeless Link retains involvement as the voluntary sector partner for the programme. There is a strong focus within the programme on developing links between academics and voluntary organisations and proposals will be welcomed that involve joint working between the two sectors.

Further details about the ESRC programme, will be published on Homeless Link’s website as they become available at www.homeless.org.uk/policyandinfo/research/researchforum/researchprog

4. About the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) The ESRC is the UK’s leading research and training agency addressing economic and social concerns. For more information visit ESRC

Further information If you would like more information on the research or on Homeless Link or if you would like a more detailed conversation about the relevance of this announcement to homelessness strategy, please contact Gill Perkins in the Homeless Link media office:

During the week, ring Gill Perkins on 020 7960 3025. Evenings and weekends ring 07881 921 476. (Please note this number is for press enquiries only. For all other enquiries ring 020 7960 3010.) Or e-mail Gill Perkins

Homeless Link First Floor 10-13 Rushworth Street London SE1 0RB