Statement from Alexia Murphy, CEO of Depaul UK
“Today feels like an important moment. I strongly welcome the Prime Minister’s determination to get people off our streets. But what gives me particular hope is that we don’t have to start from scratch. We already know a great deal about what works.
“Depaul UK runs A Bed Every Night in Oldham, so we see first-hand what the approach pioneered in Greater Manchester can achieve. Our team opens the door to people who might otherwise have nowhere safe to go that night – people who have been sleeping on streets, in cars, in unsafe situations or moving from place to place.
“But what happens after someone walks through that door is just as important.
“A bed gives someone safety tonight. It gives them a chance to sleep, to feel secure and to know that somebody is there for them. Then the real work begins: sitting down with that person, understanding what has happened in their life and working alongside them to find a way forward.
“That might mean sorting out benefits or ID, addressing poor mental health or addiction, rebuilding relationships, or simply navigating an incredibly difficult housing system.
“That is why I am so proud that three quarters of the people we support through our Oldham ABEN service have successfully moved on into longer-term accommodation. What’s more, these move-ons are usually rapid, weeks rather than months after they arrived.
“Behind every one of those moves is a person who came through our door without a safe place to call home and was supported to take the next step.
“So, as the Government takes this ambition nationwide, my message is simple: learn from what works, and fund what happens after the front door opens.
“Getting someone off the pavement is an essential first step. Ending their homelessness means helping them find somewhere they can genuinely call home.
“And we cannot stop there. I have spent much of my career working with people facing homelessness, and I know how quickly a difficult situation can become a crisis. If we are serious about ending rough sleeping for good, prevention has to sit alongside this emergency response. We need to reach people earlier, before homelessness becomes entrenched and before a person ever has to experience a night on the streets.
“The ambition announced today is significant. Depaul UK is ready to bring what we have learned in Oldham, and through almost 40 years of working alongside people experiencing homelessness, to that national effort.
“Because ultimately this is about something very simple: nobody should have to sleep on the streets, and everybody deserves the chance to find a safe place to call home.”