Plans to tackle homelessness on the Island will go before Tynwald in December.
The draft Homelessness strategy is part of the scheme of work undertaken by the Housing and Communities Board and was outlined in the Housing and Communities Action Plan 2022/23.
A cross-government strategic review was commissioned to gain a full understanding of the complex history of homelessness on the Island, current service provision, the needs of service users and providers, and, crucially, the conditions required locally to enable a sustainable focus to addressing and preventing future homelessness.
This strategy – which was informed by the strategic review, engagement with public sector and third sector providers, and those with lived experiences – compromises five focus areas:
-
Providing easy access to support services to help with potential or actual homelessness through clear pathways
-
Providing a long lasting statutory legacy of homelessness support on the Island through legislation
-
Ensuring there is a core data set to consistently support the provision of homelessness support services
-
Ensuring there is a regular needs assessment of people requiring homelessness support services now and into the future
Chair of the Housing and Communities Board, David Ashford MHK, said:
‘A one size fits all approach towards those who find themselves homeless is not the answer. Therefore, a single entry point with multiple pathways is the focus of this strategy. In particular, we feel it’s important to place the issue on a statutory footing, so we can prevent and address homelessness on our Island.
We’re grateful to our third sector partners, including Housing Matters, Praxis Care and The Salvation Army, who have been instrumental in developing this strategy and will continue to help us deliver it.
Anyone who needs it should have access to the right service, the right housing, at the right place & at the right time. I look forward to introducing this paper to Tynwald so we can start working towards the goals set out within it.’
