Written evidence submitted by Emmaus UK [RSL 002]
About Emmaus UK
1.2 The first Emmaus in the UK opened in 1991, and there are now 29 communities, which is what we call our residential sites, spread across the UK. There are also three Emmaus groups currently working to open new communities.
1.3 Emmaus supports more than 850 people who have experienced homelessness. We provide a home, training, and work opportunities in our onsite social enterprises, as part of a package of long-term support. We hope to provide a home to 1,100 people by 2025.
Emmaus UK and rough sleeping
What types of support are most helpful in helping those sleeping rough into permanent accommodation, and maintaining their tenures
2.1 30% of the people who move into Emmaus communities, and become what we call ‘companions’, were rough sleeping prior to joining Emmaus. This shows that the Emmaus model, combining housing with work opportunities and social support, helps to alleviate rough sleeping, and provides a solution for a percentage of people sleeping rough to rebuild their lives.
2.2 While Housing First is a great model and provides a much-needed solution for people sleeping rough who have high-level needs, a range of solutions are needed covering different levels of need. At Emmaus, most companions have a mid or low level of need, which is more suited to the close-knit community that companions live together in, and the staff support that can be offered. If all companions were to have a high-level of need, it may be more challenging to foster the sense of community and togetherness that Emmaus thrives off, and additional support would need to be provided to residents. This shows that different housing and support options are needed, and can compliment one another – with Housing First and Emmaus each having a key role to play.
2.3 By having onsite social enterprises, and lots of opportunities to for companions to develop their skills, confidence and employability, Emmaus communities play a vital role in helping people to move-on after experiencing rough sleeping, and go on to more stable, thriving lives. Our latest yearly stats show that 205 (19%) of companions successfully moved on externally, while 150 (14%) of companions were reported to have gained employment. The Emmaus model makes a key contribution to helping people who have previously been sleeping rough to find permanent solutions, and build a long-term future.
2.4 We think this holistic approach, which focuses not only on housing but also work opportunities, support, and a strong sense of community and belonging, is key to tackling the different causes of rough sleeping and homelessness, and giving people the tools and opportunities to ensure no return to these circumstances in future. This is why we are pleased the national government is adopting a cross-government approach through its homelessness task force and strategy, bringing together different departments and looking at the wide-ranging factors behind homelessness. We are happy to be supporting this work, drawing on our own daily experiences at Emmaus of combining housing, work opportunities, and support.
Local insights from Emmaus Hull and East Riding
The causes behind reported increases in rough sleeping in recent years
3.1 The main causes behind the rise in rough sleeping in Hull and East Riding, according to the outreach team at this local Emmaus branch, are:
Why/how rough sleeping affects certain groups of people more than others
3.2 Young adults 18-25: People of this age can often be vulnerable to peers who are bad influences, who will groom young people, and set them up to lead a standard of life that can ultimately end up in drug and alcohol abuse or prison.
3.3 Older people, aged 60 and over: People in this group are often classed as priority need for support, but many have lived in certain areas for a long time, or need support that is not readily available, or in locations they will not move to as they feel it is out of their comfort zones.
What we can learn from previous central & local government approaches to tackling rough sleeping
3.5 East Riding of Yorkshire Council are continually working together with other agencies to maintain a level of communication between different service providers, enabling them to provide effective wrap-around services.
3.6 However, this can always continue to be improved. Communication and support between other Councils would also be productive for those clients who travel from County to County, often being only provided with travel warrants due to having no local connections in the place they previously sought support in.
3.7 Housing First has been proven to be an effective way to bridge the gap between standard supported living and people requiring more support. However, certainly in East Riding, this provision is not an option and leaves a large gap in support we could be providing for people.
Local insights from Emmaus South London
The causes behind reported increases in rough sleeping in recent years
4.1 A major cause behind rough sleeping is a lack of knowledge about support available to people facing rough sleeping. According to our local branch in south London, around one in three of Emmaus South London’s residents would not have become homeless if they knew about support mechanisms. The ability to receive the Universal Credit Housing Element is the main area of support not known about.
4.2 Local authorities are prioritising advice and accommodation options for people most likely to need temporary accommodation, to save the local authority money. This can result in other people not receiving the advice and accommodation they need, and becoming homeless.
4.3 Staff at the Emmaus South London branch are concerned that local authority Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) applications seem to be being gatekept to avoid assessments. For example, in Croydon there has been a drop in HRA assessments taking six months to two months from the date of online application. Some of these actions could be unlawful, say the local branch in south London, and are not challenged as the applicant has lost the will to fight.
What types of support are most helpful in helping those sleeping rough into permanent accommodation, and maintaining their tenures
4.4 Housing First is a brilliant way of getting real, long-term results, but it seems mainly to be geared to those with higher support needs, or long periods of entrenched rough sleeping. The idea needs to expand to an offer for those with medium support needs, which would likely be a great way to prevent a return to rough sleeping.
4.5 According to those with lived experience, the soft skills of a tenancy and giving people confidence in their skills are essential. Budgeting training is used as the focus of tenancy training in most places. This is good but has little basis in reality. For example, the ability to save by switching utilities is great, if the person knows how to do this. Assessments of people's IT skills need to happen, training in utilities, paying bills, accessing banks, NHS services, and Universal Credit online should be the default before someone moves out. Tenancy rights play an important role but miss the soft skills again. Learning how to cook cheap nutritious meals is just as important as knowing what a Section 21 NOSP is.
4.6 Access to counselling to talk about the compounded trauma of becoming homeless is needed. Most people becoming homeless do so after a year of the constant stress of threatening letters and phone calls, knocks on the door, and ignoring calls. This can give many people a form of PTSD. This is not recognised enough, is easy to diagnose, and needs to be factored into support. A basic safeguarding course would also be good, so people can better recognise abusive behaviour towards them.
December 2024