Exploring housing-led approaches to resolve and prevent homelessness
The Homeful campaign, led by CIH president Jo Richardson will ran throughout Jo Richardson's presidency from July 2021 to December 2022. The campaign included a sizeable co-produced action research project exploring housing-led approaches to resolve and prevent all forms of homelessness across the UK. Housing professionals will work together to collect data, analyse findings and share learning across all parts of the UK.
Homeful also featured a wide variety of online and face-to-face events to raise money for End Youth Homelessness and to encourage everyone to get involved.
Reports and research
In July 2021, Jo launched Homeful with a report, outlining some of the key challenges for society in addressing homelessness – namely the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emerging cost-of-living crisis, on top of a longer-term shortage of properly affordable, social, housing to rent. Moreover, it included emergent examples of ways in which the housing sector and public/charitable partners had worked together to provide an agile, joined-up response to an acute rough-sleeping homelessness need.
As Jo's presidential year came to a close, the final report tells the story of findings from both the research project and charitable campaign. It provides ideas for all those working in and with the private rented and social housing sector. Starting with a reflection of homelessness and social housing in the UK, the report highlights definitions of home and homelessness along with a short explanation of the methodological approaches taken in collecting and analysing data. There’s a summary of the key findings across all strands of the research ahead of a more detailed themed analysis, plus some conclusions and ideas for the future.
Jo Richardson | president, CIH
I want CIH members, social housing organisations and networks, people experiencing homelessness, residents, charities and agencies to come together to produce the most complete evidence base of what works across the sector in the UK. We will learn as we do - and do as we learn. We can – and will - seek to end homelessness for good.
Inspired by Raynor Winn’s account of homelessness in her book, The Salt Path, throughout April/May 2022, I walked the South West Coast path. The Salt Path is life-affirming true story, that ultimately looks at the concept of home, how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected of ways.
Starting on Good Friday 2022, I began walking the 600+ miles of the trail – my aim was to complete 22 miles a day. During my walk, I was joined by a variety of individuals who have faced homelessness across the country. I wanted to hear more about their experience, understand their story and the challenges they faced. People working across the industry also came along, getting involved in the walk to help raise awareness and increase our fundraising activity.
Jo Richardson
Meet the sponsors of Jo's 22 in 22 walk along the South West Coast Path
Headline sponsor
Hopestead
“We’re delighted to support Jo Richardson's ‘Homeful’ coastal path walk. For Hopestead, it’s a perfect fit, and a fantastic opportunity to help raise awareness of homelessness across our region – particularly for those experiencing homelessness at such a young age.
“Over the past few of years, the amount of young people experiencing homelessness in rural areas has increased by 21%. It’s particularly challenging as they are often hidden from society and are significantly impacted by the lack of physical services. It’s campaigns like ‘Homeful’ that help to highlight this fact and make such a vital difference.
“Hopestead will be with Jo every step of the way, as we know that it is only through working together that we can make homelessness a rare, brief, and non-recurring event in people’s lives.” – Marie-Claire Delbrouque – CEO, Hopestead
Resource
Independent East
Independent East is an informal alliance of five community-focused housing associations in the East of England – Broadland Housing Association, Freebridge Community Housing, Havebury Housing Partnership, Saffron Housing Trust and Orwell Housing Association. The organisations are working together to support each other in delivering better services to their tenants and local communities by sharing knowledge, experience and good practice, and creating a collective lobbying voice for social housing in the region.
James Francis, chief executive of Saffron Housing Trust, said: “Although we represent different housing associations, we all share similar values and a vision for a fairer society. We are passionate about meeting the need for housing, so this cause is close to our hearts and we are really looking forward to getting on our walking boots to help raise awareness of Jo’s Homeful campaign.”
The Calico Group
The Calico Group are innovative charities and businesses, working together to create social profit, rather than financial profit.
They do this by keeping customers and staff at the heart of everything they do and making this the driving force behind our wide range of high-quality services across the North West.
Each part of The Calico Group has its own specialism, expertise and a track record of providing a complete community service in housing, healthcare, support, employability and construction.
EMH
emh group is one of the largest providers of affordable homes and care and support services in the East Midlands.
emh have more than 21,000 properties in more than 40 local authority areas across the region, and provide care and support to hundreds more customers.
World Habitat
"We’re delighted to support Jo Richardson on her imaginative campaign to raise money and awareness to end homelessness. We started our campaign – the European End Street Homelessness Campaign – because while ending homelessness is a huge challenge, we believe it is possible. However, what’s vital is that organisations come together to establish permanent housing solutions."
David Ireland, chief executive of World Habitat
Platform Housing Group
Platform Housing Group are one of the largest housing associations in the Midlands, owning more than 45,000 homes and are proud to be a strategic partner for Homes England. Their mission is to enable better lives by building better homes,
SoCrowd
Social media brings you so much potential. But it comes with a whole heap of risk. SoCrowd is a simple-to-use tech platform that empowers you to enhance and protect your online reputation.
"SoCrowd is proud to be supporting Jo and the CIH with the fantastic Homeful campaign. Click here to read more about our fundraising initiatives to support Homeful."
Peabody
160 years after it was established, Peabody is one of the oldest and largest not-for-profit housing associations in the UK. Following a merger with Catalyst Housing in April 2022, the Peabody Group is responsible for over 104,000 homes and 220,000 customers across London and the Home Counties. We have 20,000 care and support customers.
Campbell Tickell
Campbell Tickell is a multi-disciplinary management and recruitment consultancy focusing primarily on the public and not-for-profit sectors.
Established for over 20 years, we have worked with more than 900 organisations throughout the UK, Ireland and beyond, with central and local government, housing associations, care providers, sports and leisure bodies, charities, and commercial organisations such as housebuilders and developers, contractors and legal firms.
"This is a thoroughly important and worthwhile initiative. We all have a responsibility to support tackling homelessness through different routes. Campbell Tickell is delighted to be a day sponsor. Good luck with the walk, and best wishes from us all!”
Savills
Founded in the UK in 1855, Savills is one of the world's leading property agents. Our experience and expertise spans the globe, with 600 offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.
Our scale gives us wide-ranging specialist and local knowledge, and we take pride in providing best-in-class advice as we help individuals, businesses and institutions make better property decisions.
Grand Union Housing
We’ve been in business for over 25 years and provide 12,000 homes for more than 27,000 people across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire. We’re a £75 million turnover social business with almost 400 staff.
Our mission is more homes, stronger communities, better lives. We build affordable homes, provide personal support, and help people to learn, work and be healthy.
Places for People
We're one of the UK's leading placemakers.
We work across the full spectrum of placemaking. We build homes and communities where everyone is welcome and everyone can thrive.
Hightown Housing Association
Hightown
"We're proud to sponsor Jo's fundraising walk and to support her campaign to raise awareness of the role of housing in ending homelessness, an issue which sadly affects far too many young people.
"As a charitable housing association with a social purpose, Hightown has made it our mission to deliver the affordable housing that is desperately needed and to provide supported accommodation for people in crisis. As a founding member of the Homes for Cathy group, we are also committed to doing what we can tackle homelessness through our policies and practices.
"We wish Jo the best of luck as she laces up her walking boots to navigate the South West Coast Path."
David Bogle, chief executive, Hightown Housing Association
Meet the sponsors of the Homeful action research
Morgan Sindall
We are eight complementary businesses with one unified culture. We are 6,900 talented people working to create long-term, sustainable value in the built environment.
Longhurst Group
One of the largest housing groups in the Midlands and East of England, Longhurst Group owns and manages over 23,500 homes and delivers a wide range of care and support services.
Home Group
We’re a housing association, social enterprise and charity with a turnover of over £430m and one of the UK’s largest providers of high quality housing and integrated housing, health and social care.
