[Skip to Content]
Designing Out Veterans’ Homelessness

Designing Out Veterans’ Homelessness

Designing Out Veterans’ Homelessness

Friday, March 13, 2020

Zoë from the Coventry Frontline Network attended a West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) event in February on the subject of veterans’ homelessness.

As this bulletin explains, “The WMCA brought together local authorities, homeless charities and Armed Forces organisations and charities, to highlight how they can work together to find the best ways to help veterans who don’t have permanent homes.”

The event was a chance to learn about support available for people who have served in the armed forces, and to think about how homelessness services can focus more on prevention instead of reacting to crisis points.

The WMCA also launched a report, Designing Out Veterans’ Homelessness, which considers the homelessness and housing needs of veterans, and includes case studies of good practice across the midlands.

Read the Report today.

Statistics suggest that homelessness levels amongst veterans are slightly lower on average than the general population, but it’s important to find out if a client (or a close family member) has served in the Forces – for any period of time. There are additional support routes for ex-Forces personnel, so the No Homeless Veterans campaign asks for everyone to “Think Veteran” and ask the question.

 

A selection of resources for supporting veterans experiencing homelessness:

 

Homeless Link webinar

 

Veterans Gateway

“The first point of contact for veterans seeking support. We put veterans and their families in touch with the organisations best placed to help with the information, advice and support they need – from healthcare and housing to employability, finances, personal relationships and more.”

Veterans’ Gateway is made up of a consortium of organisations and Armed Forces charities, including The Royal British Legion and SSAFA.

The helpline within the Veterans’ Gateway is staffed 24 hours a day and includes access to housing advice.

Help and advice for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness can be found here.

 

Cobseo is the Confederation of Service Charities, which aims to “represent, promote, and further the interests of the Armed Forces Community”. They have a dedicated Housing Cluster and launched the No Homeless Veterans campaign.

 

No Homeless Veterans aims to ensure Local Authority housing staff are identifying and supporting former Service personnel in urgent housing need.

They are delivering free briefings for Local Authorities – LA staff can arrange a briefing via the contact page

 

Armed Forces Covenant

The covenant focusses on helping members of the armed forces community have the same access to government and commercial services and products as any other citizen.

The website contains a range of e-learning packages developed by the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Armed Forces Covenant partnership, aimed at Local Authorities. They include “How the Armed Forces Covenant applies to housing and homelessness.”

News and Views

collapse/expand
  • Brain Injury Guidance

    Brain Injury Guidance

    Leigh Andrews of Change Communication offered specialist advice on brain injuries and homelessness through a digital...
  • End Furniture Poverty Survey

    End Furniture Poverty Survey

    End Furniture Poverty have recently spoken with the Frontline Network to discuss their important ongoing survey, seek...
  • Cover the Cost Campaign

    Cover the Cost Campaign

    Jasmine Basran, Senior Policy Officer at Crisis, talks to us about the Cover the Cost Campaign, asking the Government...
  • VRF Impact Report 2018/19

    VRF Impact Report 2018/19

    Over the past year we have given out 3827 grants totaling £1,156,805 through the VRF. Read the latest Impact Report t...
  • Influence from the Frontline

    Influence from the Frontline

    Frontline workers are crucial at giving insight into the viewpoints of the people they work with as well as the chall...
  • The Vagrancy Act

    The Vagrancy Act

    Crisis, along with others including Homeless Link, Cymorth Cymru, Centrepoint, St Mungo’s, Shelter Cymru and the Wall...
  • Influencing local decisions

    Influencing local decisions

    Zoe, Frontline Network Coordinator at Coventry Citizens Advice, talks to us about the Coventry Frontline Network and...
  • The Litigant in Person Network

    The Litigant in Person Network

    Martha de la Roche, Network Development Manager at Litigant in Person Network (LiP Network), tells us about The LiP N...
  • VRF Impact Report

    VRF Impact Report

    Find out what impact VRF had last year and how to get involved in shaping its direction in the coming year.
  • Housing First Scotland

    Housing First Scotland

    Please see here for the first issue of Housing First Connect - a twice-yearly newsletter for Scotland’s new Housing F...
  • Slaying the Dragon

    Slaying the Dragon

    Will Golding, Edinburgh Tutor at Crisis, talks to us about 'Slaying the Dragon'.
  • CPAG - Early Warning System

    CPAG - Early Warning System

    Dan Norris, from CPAG, talks to us about a new Early Warning System to record the impact of benefit changes implement...
  • The Hostile Environment

    The Hostile Environment

    Bethan Lant, a Project lead from Praxis, writes about the creation of a hostile environment for migrants and refugees.
  • Wrexham’s Crisis Cafe

    Wrexham’s Crisis Cafe

    Sinead Kelleher writes about Wrexham's Crisis Cafe, a multi-agency response to Universal Credit.
  • Frontline Worker Survey

    Frontline Worker Survey

    We are asking frontline workers to participate in a survey, aimed at those working with clients who are experiencing...
  • A map through conflict

    A map through conflict

    A Cyrenians Mediator writes about their innovative Amber Mediation and Support Project, a model of mediation and supp...
  • “A place to call home"

    “A place to call home"

    Hannah Gousy was seconded from Crisis to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) to help design policy recommendations to...
  • A London Nightshelter

    A London Nightshelter

    On 7 November we opened our church-based shelters for the winter with more churches signed on then ever before. Glass...
  • 'Step Up' at The Connection

    'Step Up' at The Connection

    Wyn Newman introduces the volunteer programme 'Step Up' that has been developed at The Connection for service users.