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
