Interview with Jenny Edwards

ePolitix.com speaks to Jenny Edwards, chief executive of Homeless Link, about their most recent and in-depth report into the homelessness sector

Question: Firstly, Can you tell us a bit about the work Homeless Link does?

Jenny Edwards: We are the national membership organisation for organisations tackling homelessness and helping homeless people across the country. We aim to end homelessness through our work to help services become 'Places of Change' and to influence policy at national and local levels.

Question: The recent report by Homeless Link and Resource Information Service (RIS) has been described as groundbreaking. Why don't we already have huge amounts of information about the homelessness sector?

Jenny Edwards: There's always been a major lack of hard data on homeless people and services that fall outside statutory homelessness. This is the first time we have been able to draw together a full picture of the scale of the services and the complexity of the issues they try to resolve. We are really pleased that the CLG and Crash have funded this piece of work.

Question: Why is it important that we know more?

Jenny Edwards: We are talking about some of the people who experience the deepest social exclusion in our society. Yet often they move frequently, don't receive public services (or if they do, their homelessness is not recorded as an additional vulnerability) and they are not recorded in local and national statistics. In a targeted and contracting focused culture there is a risk that strategies and resources don't reach them, despite their needs. This research illuminates the issues.

Question: The report highlights the multiple needs of many homeless people, why is this so often the case?

Jenny Edwards: Our society finds it hard to help people with complex needs - for example, mental health problems and addictions – and they become vulnerable to homelessness. Once people are homeless, many gain new health problems if they don't get help quickly.

There are a number of different services that provide for homeless people, does there need to be more joined up thinking around the funding and organisation of these services?

It is important that services in the major cities co-ordinate with each other. However, it is also vital that we get services commissioned in the local authorities where there are no direct access services - many are identified in our report. Also, we really need skills, employment, health, social care and reducing reoffending services to engage and come and work with homelessness agencies - there are some major gaps here.

Question: Does government policy surrounding homelessness take the multiple needs of people into account?

Jenny Edwards: Homelessness policy has really taken on the issue of multiple needs. The problem is with other areas of government policy where there is less understanding of the complex needs reflected in many of the people who are homeless.

Question: There are close ties between homelessness and criminal behaviour, what do you think some of the reasons are for this?

Jenny Edwards: Most of the revolving door between prison and homelessness is about the petty crime of some very vulnerable people. Not serious enough to get help from probation services, people can be left without the help to break the cycle.

It's frustrating when there are such great examples of lives turned round for good once there is the right help. There's very little investment from criminal justice funds in homelessness services despite the huge public savings gained each time someone gets their life back on track.

Question: The report presents a very complex picture of the needs of homeless people. Is it a totally gloomy picture or is there a more positive message in the findings?

Jenny Edwards: It's important to remember that almost half of the people in homeless projects don't have multiple needs. Most of all, they need people to believe in their talent and potential and to get practical help to get them a home and a job. There are people in every walk of life who have been homeless in the past. We need to give everyone the chance to make that same journey to independence and success.

Question: Does the report look into the numbers of people who find their way back into fixed accommodation?

Jenny Edwards: No, however, we do know that nationally, 57 per cent of moves from Supporting People funded accommodation in 2006-07 were planned and the proportion of people who moved on in a planned way was higher in services classified as supported accommodation and foyers for young people, than in homeless hostels, B&B and temporary accommodation.

We also know from previous research carried out in 2005 that 45 per cent of bedspaces in hostels are occupied by people who are ready to move on, but have no where to go.

Question: What steps need to be taken to help ensure a greater number of people return to more stable accommodation options?

Jenny Edwards: We are working with the government to encourage every local authority to use a co-ordinated and planned approach to Move On to ensure people who are ready and able to move on with their lives get the chance. For people who need support, the "Places of Change" programme is about services providing a holistic approach that works with each person individually on all dimensions of their life where they want to see change.

Question: Only five per cent of projects reported any level of funding from employment and education agencies, is this something you would like to see improved upon?

Jenny Edwards: Very much so. People have so much talent and potential that isn't being developed because of the narrow way that targets and the contracts that go with them have been defined.

We have to challenge the attitude that homeless people aren't welcome because they won't help agencies and government achieve the targets. We know they can – a good example of this is a man who was dependent on drugs and homeless. He had the opportunity to go on a diving course, but had to become clean first. Since this initial course, he has gone on to qualify as an instructor and has now become a professional diver. He achieved this because the opportunity was there for him and because he was believed in.

Question: What are some of the other recommendations you have made following the report?

Jenny Edwards: Preventing homelessness is vital if our goal of ending homelessness is to be achieved. The sector and government departments need to understand why people become homeless and how government policies can result in an increase in the numbers of people homeless.

This report enables us all to see some of the drivers behind homelessness and to plan how to work successfully with individuals to prevent repeat homelessness. We cannot achieve this without the commitment of other government departments, aside from the CLG.

Whilst we recognise that delivering services to homeless people with a broad range of needs can be challenging, as a result of limited resources, CLG, local authorities and providers need to commit to continually improving the standards of homelessness provision in England.

Furthermore, along with Registered Social Landlords, this group needs to begin planning and developing services for couples, rather than focusing largely on single homeless people.

Question: Do you have any final comments for ePolitix.com readers?

Jenny Edwards: This July marks 10 years since the government launched its rough sleeping strategy that aimed to get street homelessness "as close to zero as possible". This country's progress, with 19,000 individuals leaving rough sleeping in London alone, is the example to the world that others are following.

The third sector work, funded through Supporting People, has made a huge difference to moving people on to independence. Now is the time to be bold and build on that foundation. We challenge the political parties to grasp the issue and to develop a compelling vision to end homelessness.