COVID-19: opportunity to improve crisis responses to homelessness?

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 struck when, despite plans to support the homeless population in Scotland, sustainable arrangements seemed beyond reach without a change of mindset by all providing support.

METHODS

Four case studies describe the experience of individuals who received support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Late in 2020 support workers selected individuals whose support would have been different without the pandemic; sought their permission; and collected information from case notes and those engaged. Two other case studies describe new models addressing homelessness in response to the pandemic. During December 2020 the author interviewed managers who had contributed to the design and delivery of those models, and accessed data collected for other purposes. These six studies are tested against the five core principles of the Plan to End Homelessness, the basis of current homelessness policy in Scotland.

RESULTS

COVID-19 stimulated new forms of support for Edinburgh's homeless people, and a new culture of working together to solve urgent problems in ways that are person-centred and relationship-based.

DISCUSSION: Tackling homelessness in these ways highlighted resistant structural problems, notably how to ensure sufficient affordable housing. Plans to prevent homelessness must address such problems.

CONCLUSION

This new approach marks a cultural change in multi-agency services support for homeless people. The challenge is to sustain these improvements, and learn lessons for the future.