Labour Considers National Housing First Pledge To Tackle Homelessness Crisis

Exclusive: Labour is considering a manifesto pledge to roll out Housing First nationwide in a bid to tackle the UK's growing crisis of homelessness and rough sleeping, PoliticsHome understands.

Housing First operates on seven key principles including the right to a home; giving of individuals control over the type and location of their housing; and a focus on harm reduction. 

It was originally commissioned by local authorities in England in 2010 on a small scale, but was then expanded by the government in 2017 to test delivery at a regional level with £28m of investment; combined authorities in Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham are current pilot areas. 

In September, Manchester Labour mayor Andy Burnham told PoliticsHome the scheme had been crucial in the city's success in bringing down rough sleeping numbers despite figures rising nationally, and said it had given the city "the confidence to improve A Bed Every Night" -  Burnham's flagship homelessness strategy. 

However, there is current uncertainty about the future of the scheme in pilot areas, with the government not announcing any funding for it beyond 2025. 

PoliticsHome understands that the Labour party is considering rolling this policy out nationally as their big policy offer on the homelessness following Housing First's success both in pilot areas in the UK and where its been implemented internationally in countries like Finland, which has almost completely eliminated homelessness. 

In January, Inside Housing reported 92 per cent of Housing First participants in pilot areas in England were now living in long-term accomodation. And a report by Homeless Link found 50.4 per cent of participants in Housing First showed reduction in their mental health needs after the