Homelessness
Homelessness covers a wide range of circumstances, from sleeping on the streets, to families living in bed and breakfast hotels, to those without a home of their own. There is no single reason why someone can end up without a home. Personal circumstances and wider factors both play their part.
A wide definition of homelessness is adopted in the Homelessness Monitor Longitudinal Study and considers the impacts of relevant policy and economic changes on all of the following homeless groups:
- people sleeping rough
- single homeless people living in hostels, shelters and temporary supported accommodation
- statutorily homeless households – households who seek housing assistance from local authorities on grounds of being currently or imminently without accommodation
- ‘hidden homeless’ households – people who may be considered homeless but whose situation is not ‘visible’ either on the streets or in official statistics
Homelessness Monitor - Longitudinal Study
Local Support Available
Sheffield City Council
Homeless prevention advice, assistance and information on rehousing options in Sheffield
Sheffield City Council Housing Solutions
Sheffield Directory
The Sheffield Directory provides lots of helpful information and signposting to local support.
The Sheffield Directory - Homeless Support
Sheffield Archer Project
Various support options to help homeless people
Sheffield Archer Project
Emmaus Sheffield
Emmaus Sheffield is a unique project in South Yorkshire. Providing a home, support and work for formerly homeless men and women.
Emmaus Sheffield
National Information and Advice
Shelter’s National Homeless Advice Service
Shelter’s National Homelessness Advice provides expert advice, training and support to professionals working in local authorities, voluntary advice agencies and public authorities in England.
On their website, you can also find lots of useful resources and Factsheets which can be used by members of the public and professionals. Each factsheet aims to give a general overview of a particular housing or welfare subject.
Shelter’s Professionals Resources
Shelter's Advice for Professionals
Shelter's Factsheets
Adult Safeguarding and Homelessness: A Briefing on Positive Practice
The purpose of this briefing from the Local Government Association is to assist senior leaders, such as members of Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs), as well as commissioners, practitioners and operational managers who are working across relevant sectors and agencies in this field, to support people who are homeless and at risk of, or are experiencing abuse or neglect. This briefing includes learning from SARs.
Read the briefing here.
Policy Context and Duty to Refer Homelessness
Sheffield Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023 - 2028
The Sheffield Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023 - 2028 sets out the strategic direction and priorities for the city over the next five years. The strategy sets out the vision to minimise homelessness in Sheffield by focusing on early prevention, to help people keep their home or move in a planned way. It sets out the five strategic priorities that will have the most impact on preventing homelessness.
The Sheffield Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023 - 2028
Homelessness Reduction Act (2017)
Homelessness Reduction Act came into force in April 2018. There is also a Code of Guidance which provides advice and guidance on all the homeless legislation.
Homelessness Reduction Act (2017)
Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities
Duty to Refer Homelessness
The Act introduced a duty on specified public authorities to refer service users who they think may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to local authority homelessness/housing options teams this includes but is not limited to prisons, hospitals, probation services & social care.
The duty to refer helps to ensure that services are working together effectively to prevent homelessness by ensuring that peoples’ housing needs are considered when they come into contact with public authorities.
A guide to the Duty to Refer
Public Authority Duty to Refer