Www.york.ac.uk/chp Housing Single Veterans: A case for special treatment? Deborah Quilgars and Anwen Jones HSA Conference 2015.

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Housing Single Veterans: A case for special treatment?

Deborah Quilgars and Anwen Jones

HSA Conference 2015

www.york.ac.uk/chpwww.york.ac.uk/chp

Policy background I

• Veterans have had a high profile in recent years – conflicts, media coverage, repatriation etc. Prompted a renewed interest in the ‘duty of care’ the UK owes to serving personnel and veterans (The Futures Company, 2013; Dandeker et al, 2006)

• Some changes to homelessness legislation (since 2002 priority need category of vulnerable as result of leaving Armed Forces) but legislation remains more relevant to veterans with dependents

• Since 2012 veterans can establish a ‘local connection’ through employment with LA that have service history


Policy background II

• 2011 Armed Forces Act – enshrined Armed Forces Covenant in law– two principles:

• Armed Forces members should not face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services

• Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially those who have given most such as injured and bereaved

• Armed Forces Community Covenants – voluntary local commitment to veteran community – 98% of LAs signed up (2013) - but considerable debate as to whether this leads to change on ground

• Localism Act, 2011 gives LAs discretion over social housing allocation policies

• Some housing examples: quotas for veterans; backdating waiting time on social housing registers to start of military service


The research

• Research commissioned by Riverside and Stoll – providers of dedicated housing for veterans (with funding from Forces in Mind Trust)

• Timeframe – 2013-2014

• Research aims:

• To examine the extent and nature of provision of accommodation and housing related support for single veterans in Great Britain with a particular focus on veterans who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness

• To establish the current and perceived future need for accommodation and housing related support for single veterans who are homeless/at risk of homelessness in Great Britain and to identify gaps in knowledge about current and future levels of need

• To make practical recommendations to Government (central and local), service commissioners, service providers and veteran organisations, regarding the effective planning and delivery of future provision.


Research Methods

• A review of the existing research evidence on the level and nature of demand for housing and support services from single veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Great Britain – using standard review techniques including a search of electronic databases and a review of relevant organisation and government websites

• Secondary analysis of existing data sources on housing and support for single veterans – including homelessness statistics, Supporting People data, CORE and other relevant data sources

• An electronic survey of all local authorities in Great Britain (response rate 35%)

• A survey of dedicated single veteran service providers

• Interviews with key stakeholders from government, generic and veteran organisations (28 individuals from 24 organisations)

• Case studies in 22 local authority areas and focus groups with single veterans (62 in-depth interviews in total)


Findings: Review of existing research

What do existing studies tell us about housing and veterans?• Research studies on homelessness among

veterans have tended to be small, qualitative studies with a London bias

• No service evaluations of services for homeless veterans

• No national UK cohort studies of homeless single veterans or longitudinal studies into housing pathways of veterans

• Great variation in estimates of proportion of homeless people with a service background

• Reductions since 1990s (Randall and Brown, 1994 – 25%; Johnsen et al, 2008- 6%)

• Higher proportions in Multiple Exclusion Homelessness (11%)


Findings: Review of existing research

• Some evidence that veterans may have specific needs relating to alcohol use, mental health problems, physical health problems and social isolation (but lack of comparison groups)

• No clear evidence that Service does or does not increase the risk of homelessness – three main hypotheses:

• Homelessness is unrelated to military service; is related to factors that pre-date military service; is related to military service [some evidence to support all partially]

• Some evidence that dedicated veteran services provide ‘fast track’ access to support and that take up might be greater if services can provide military ‘knowledge’ or experience


Findings: Secondary analysis of existing data and surveys

What do the most recent statistics tell us about the number of veterans in housing need?• Numbers utilising generic housing and

homelessness services relatively low and typically represented a small proportion of the services’ total users e.g. 0.11% of total homeless acceptances in England in 2013 (Number= 58)

• Higher numbers using generic accommodation and housing related services e.g.1.85% of all new Supporting People clients in 2013/14 (N=2,582)


Number recorded as vulnerable as a result of having served in HM Forces

Local authority deciles

0

1

2 - 3

4 - 5

6 - 8

9 - 11

12 - 13

14 - 15

16 - 22

23 - 25

Number recorded as vulnerable as a result of havingserved in HM Forces, P1E data 2005 to 2013



• Homeless Link’s Survey of Needs and Provision (SNAP) found that veterans represented 2-3% of users of day centres, direct access hostels and second stage accommodation (sample)

• The Combined Homeless and Information Network (CHAIN) recorded that 3% of outreach service users were veterans (from the UK) in 2012/13 (N= 151)

• The Single Persons Accommodation Centre for the Ex-Services (SPACES) has been assisting between 1,000 and 1,500 veterans per year since 2000 (N= 1,297, 2013)

• Conclusion: absolute numbers small; proportions also small in terms of housing need; geographically dispersed



What specialist accommodation provision exists for single veterans?• 17 providers of dedicated accommodation based services

providing a total of 910 bed spaces across 46 schemes, including:

• 156 direct access beds

• 377 second stage accommodation beds

• 377 long term housing units

• NB: there is more extensive provision for veterans with care and nursing needs, veterans with disabilities and veteran families

• Dedicated provision likely to increase by at least 235 bed spaces/units (26%) through planned developments including via LIBOR funding


Findings: Secondary analysis of existing data

• Little floating support – only 276 veterans supported at any one time – likely to increase only by 5%

• Provision not evenly distributed throughout Great Britain.

• Most in South East

• After London, Scotland had next highest number of dedicated bed spaces

• There was no provision in Wales or the East Midlands at time of research

• Planned developments in Wales, London, Scotland, the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside and the South East

• Overall, services operate broad eligibility criteria – most for men and women. Most had no minimum length of service. Schemes did tend to be more accessible to veterans with mental health problems than veterans with substance misuse problems

• Schemes developed without or with little evidence of need


Location of dedicated provision


Findings – case studies and key stakeholders

What do key stakeholders tell us about the nature of housing need amongst veterans?

Reasons why veterans face housing difficulties – thought to be similar to reasons others face problems • Shortage of affordable housing

• Problems sustaining a tenancy

• Substance misuse

• Mental health issues

• Relationship breakdown

• Inadequate transition planning

• Other pre-existing problems (masked or contained when in Services)



• Generic service providers unsure about level of demand but tended to think need exaggerated

• Dedicated services felt demand was significant and believed there was likely to be unmet/unexpressed demand from veterans with support needs that could put them at risk of homelessness

• Rough sleeping amongst veterans was not thought to be a significant problem. However, hidden homelessness and other forms of unsustainable housing arrangements were not uncommon

• A few areas reported a relatively high demand – Preston, Gateshead, Hull, Plymouth, Highland, Colchester, Rushmoor, South Ayrshire, Aberdeen and Perth and Kinross

• NB: an element of ‘build it and they will come’ – some respondents convinced that there is unexpressed demand


Findings: – case studies and key stakeholders

What do key stakeholders tell us about gaps in provision and what is needed in the future?1) Improvements to generic housing and support services

• Emergency and temporary accommodation

• Alternative forms of permanent independent accommodation (with support where necessary e.g. Housing First models)

• Affordable move on accommodation

• Floating support/tenancy sustainment services

• Mental health and substance misuse services

• Outreach, advice and drop in/day centres

• Befriending and counselling services



2) Need for more dedicated support services for veterans alongside a more limited need for dedicated supported accommodation

• Generic providers and some dedicated service providers believed that the housing and support needs of most single veterans could and should be met within generic provision in the community – with specialist support (e.g. workers) where necessary.

• Dedicated clustered accommodation thought to hinder transition



However!• Dedicated supported accommodation held in high regard

• Thought that some veterans might fare better in dedicated supported accommodation

• Also some evidence of veterans with unmet complex needs who might benefit from dedicated supported accommodation

• Few thought that there was sufficient demand locally to warrant the development of dedicated supported accommodation – data also supports this view - demand more likely to exist on wider geographical basis (see evidence from SPACES and movement to specialist services)

There is also a clear need for improved data collection and improved collaboration between key stakeholders


Conclusions

• Lack of evidence - need may be exaggerated, but most likely to be regional or national rather than local need

• Generic or specialist services – moral arguments used on both sides of the debate – fairness vs deservedness.

• Whose responsibility is this? (Role of transition services/ different responsibilities dependent on time in military; issue of ESLs)

• Practical imperative to fund services for veterans separately? – response to austerity, LIBOR funds, other services will have more resources for non-veteran housing

• Consumer choice would support some specialist services – can this be justified? Is it different to other ‘specialist’ services by area of need (e.g. mental health)?


Report recommendations – are they right?!

• The MoD, working in collaboration with other key agencies, should improve transition planning for all Service leavers to maximise people’s ability to achieve and maintain sustainable housing after Service –

• Uncontentious finding but how far should this support go (timescale; intensity)?

• National housing strategies for veterans should be developed, led by the Scottish, Welsh and UK governments, in collaboration with key housing and Veteran agencies?

• Is there a case for special treatment? Or should needs be within broader housing and support responses?

• National strategies should support the development of coordinated services to meet the accommodation and housing related needs of veterans.

• More work with generic/ statutory services to ensure that mainstream services are appropriate? At moment, funding being used to build more new units – floating support better?


Thanks for listening

• Research report:

• Anwen Jones, Deborah Quilgars, Lisa O’Malley, David Rhodes, Mark Bevan and Nicholas Pleace (2014) Meeting the Housing and Support Needs of Single Veterans in Great Britain, York: Centrre for Housing Policy, University of York.

• www.york.ac.uk/chp/

• @CHPresearch

• Second stage of research just starting – longitudinal panel of single veterans (first report, autumn 2016)

• Possible link with USA (DR Metraux, University of Sciences, Philadelphia)– comparative study looking at frameworks and service responses

Www.york.ac.uk/chp Housing Single Veterans: A case for special treatment? Deborah Quilgars and Anwen Jones HSA Conference 2015.

Documents

housing single veterans

housing related support

housing examples

research research

armed forces members

social housing registers

service history slide

military service slide