Firm Foundations:An evaluation of the Shelter Homeless to Home service

Shelter Homeless to Home was a three year project funded by the Community Fund that was designed to help formerly homeless families sustain a tenancy and live successfully in the community. Projects are currently operating in the cities of Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield. This report presents the results from an independent evaluation of Homeless to Home conducted by the Centre for Housing Policy, University of York. The projects were established in response to evidence that homeless families often have a range of needs that could make it difficult for them to sustain a tenancy without any form of support. These included needs for practical, emotional and financial support. Services like Homeless to Home are usually described as resettlement services. The projects in Bristol and Sheffield were city-wide, while the project in Birmingham was focussed on the Handsworth and Newtown community.