Housing providers can now access a free resource aimed at preventing homeless.

Created by the Homelessness Prevention Forum, it has been developed to support all those who may come into contact with those at risk of homelessness to better understand the signs and help prevent homelessness. The training tool can be found here:

Declan Morris (Extern) and Paul Fleming (NIACRO), co-chairs of the Homelessness Prevention Forum, have said:

"The Forum is a collaboration of a wide range of support services that help prevent homelessness on a daily basis. This resource and training tool is our way to help raise the level of awareness of this issue and to help our fellow professionals across the sector with a training tool that looks at early warning signs of homelessness and how housing support provided by floating support services can help."

This is part of the wider Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s homeless strategic vision to 'End Homelessness Together'.

The online resource provides information about homelessness, identifies the risks and signs of homelessness and signposts people to information and contacts for the support services that are available. These services offer help for young and older people, families, those experiencing addiction, mental ill health, disability issues, and many other specialisms.

Housing Executive

"This resource very much supports the Housing Executive’s strategy of 'Ending Homelessness Together' which is seeing us work with our partners to address the complex and varied factors that can lead to homelessness. The strategy recognises the important role of statutory and voluntary agencies in recognising the risks of homelessness and supporting those households to help prevent them from reaching crisis point."