“The evidence is clear that it works, and when a pilot scheme gets results it shouldn’t end there – it should become the new normal. Housing First has shown that if you give people an unconditional right to safe and secure housing, backed up with personalised support, you set them up to succeed.”
The Housing First pilot is one of three government-backed schemes operating in England alongside Liverpool City Region and the West Midlands.
Funding is currently set to run out next year with the government yet to set out its future plans for Housing First.
The pilot scheme has supported people like Vance, who was homeless for a decade after his alcohol addiction left him estranged from his family. He was offered a flat through the Housing First pilot after leaving rehab.
He said: “I want to just give the next person the advice that they need: I would say get on that ladder and stay on that ladder. Go and sort your addiction out. Do it for yourself.”
Crisis chief executive Matt Downie has previously said the rollout of Housing First has been “too slow” and called for it to be adopted more widely at pace.
Burnham agrees and has set out plans to adopt a wider philosophy related to the model, much like what has been done to great success in Finland.
Greater Manchester leaders will focus on improving the supply and standard homes to make Housing First a success alongside using more devolved powers and funding to tackle health and employment using a home as a base.
Burnham has promised 75,000 new homes across the region with the support of the Labour government, including affordable homes and single occupancy accommodation in demand for Housing First.
He has previously announced a Good Landlord Charter to take action against rogue landlords as well as a Property Check scheme for renters.
Burnham said this Housing First policy will recognise that a “good home has to be the first step to a good life” – a stance he told the Big Issue about last year in an exclusive interview.
“Instead of winding it down, we should be scaling it up and turning it into a national mission – and we’re starting that here in Greater Manchester. We’re bringing in new protections for renters, tackling bad landlords, and with the right powers and funding we can deliver 75,000 new homes in this parliament,” said Burnham.
“Our new Housing First Unit will drive this work forward, bringing together partners across our city-region with a clear goal: a healthy home for everyone in Greater Manchester by 2038.
“The growing cost of not solving the housing crisis – both on our communities and on the public purse – is plain to see.”
Like other parts of the country, Greater Manchester is counting the cost of the housing crisis with record numbers of people living in temporary accommodation.
Failing to tackle the housing crisis across Greater Manchester is costing the region £75m in temporary accommodation rents, the Great Manchester Combined Authority said, with costs for support staff and other services meaning the true cost is much higher.
Deputy Greater Manchester mayor Paul Dennett described the figures as “eye-watering” and said the region must “urgently accelerate the supply of genuinely affordable, council and social housing”.
He also called for changes to the Right to Buy scheme with 24,000 homes in Greater Manchester sold off over the last 20 years. Housing secretary Angela Rayner is reportedly considering reforming the Thatcherite scheme.
Burnham has looked to Finland for inspiration by embedding a Housing First philosophy in the solution to the crisis. He welcomed a delegation from Finland to Manchester this week to discuss his plans.
Big Issue visited Finland in 2021 to hear how the country had tackled homelessness.
Jukka Siukosaari, ambassador of Finland to the United Kingdom, said: “Our nation has succeeded in going against the trend by actually decreasing the number of people without a place to live. This result is a proof of the importance of the home as a starting point when we help people rebuild their lives.
“I am happy to be able to share some lessons we have learned in Finland about finding solutions to homelessness, an issue that countries in Europe and all over the world are working to solve.”
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