On Monday 14 September, Housing Rights held a special event in the Long Gallery at Stormont. We had an incredible turnout from government across all parties, public sector leaders, voluntary and community organisations and experts by experience. The event was a special opportunity to come together with a shared goal of exploring how Northern Ireland can strengthen its approach to preventing homelessness.
We were delighted to hear from Gordon Lyons, Minister for Communities, who announced his intention to create an expert Homelessness Commission for Northern Ireland. The commission will review both how our homelessness legislation can be strengthened to better prevent homelessness and how these changes will be implemented in practice across sectors such as health, education and justice.
The event launched new research carried out by research consultants Fiona Boyle and Oonagh Thompson-Bradley. It examines the financial cost of homelessness and the value of early intervention to prevent it.
Commissioned by Housing Rights, the research examines the scenarios of 9 homelessness journeys. Each of the 9 scenarios showed the complexities of homelessness and the interventions needed to support people into settled accommodation.
The evidence is clear. When opportunities to prevent homelessness are missed, the financial and social costs increase significantly. Early intervention and prevention reduce demand not only on housing services, but across public systems including health and education. But this is not simply a conversation about cost. At its core is the human impact of homelessness on individuals, families and communities, and the importance of ensuring people receive the right support before crisis point is reached.
We went on to hear from Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, who shared her experience of developing prevention-focused approaches to legislation in Scotland and Wales. Suzanne chaired the expert review processes that informed homelessness prevention transformation in both Scotland and Wales. She provided invaluable insights into the lessons learned from these reviews and how they can be carried forward in Northern Ireland.
We were also grateful to hear from Dr Lígia Teixeira, CEO of the Centre for Homelessness Impact. Lígia drove home the necessity of closing the "implementation gap". Creating new legislation will not be enough to transform homeless prevention in Northern Ireland. Lígia made clear that success will depend on adequate funding and resources, clear responsibilities, processes and accountability across sectors.
The most important voices in the room, however, were those of people with lived experience of homelessness. They bravely shared their stories and offered insights into how greater support in preventing homelessness could have improved their experiences. Their input demonstrated that their expertise and insight will be vital to any successful reform of our homelessness legislation.
As the event drew to a close, the energy and enthusiasm for change in the room were palpable. It is clear that now is the time to put prevention at the centre of our homelessness legislation and practice. We have a special opportunity in Northern Ireland to develop both the legal and practical framework for homelessness prevention, with people at its centre.
