A new way of tackling homelessness is showing promise. Will it catch on?
Mexico, Canada and now the UK are among those offering direct financial support to homeless people. The results are encouraging
Homelessness is a growing problem in the UK with a record number of people living in temporary accommodation. It adds urgency to a new trial that will see homeless people in England and Wales receive direct financial support to help get them back on their feet.
The pilot will recruit 360 people, half of whom will continue to receive their current level of support – so acting as a control group – while the other half will receive extra financial assistance, albeit not directly. The charity Greater Change will hold and spend money on behalf of participants to ensure that their benefits payments are uninterrupted.
The trial is being run by King’s College London (KCL). Prof Michael Sanders, director of KCL’s experimental government unit, told Positive News that it was inspired by similar schemes in Mexico and Canada.
Since 1997, a cash-transfer scheme in Mexico now known as Prospera has provided cash support to households living below the minimum welfare line. The programme has reached more than 26.6 million people and has been shown to improve child development in rural areas, reduce the likelihood of child labour, and decrease food insecurity by 15%.
https://www.positive.news/society/new-way-of-tackling-homelessness-showing-promise/