We are committed to helping those who are homeless to have and keep a home of their own.
We do this in a few ways and usually in partnership. Its even different depending on the area we are working across because each area (and person too) has a different set of needs.
Our Housing First programme works across Hampshire and also Somerset.
What is Housing First?
Housing First is a housing and support approach which:
- Gives people who have experienced homelessness and chronic health and social care needs a stable home from which to rebuild their lives.
- Provides intensive, person-centred, holistic support that is open-ended.
- Places no conditions on individuals; however, they should desire to have a tenancy.
The Housing First approach was first developed in New York by Pathways to Housing in 1992. It has since been widely adopted in the USA and become central to the national homelessness strategies in Canada, Denmark, Finland and France, demonstrating widespread success.
In England, since 2010, a growing number of local areas have established Housing First services to meet and identified need. To be successful, services must follow the principles of Housing First.
The Principles of Housing First
Studies have shown that the closer a Housing First service adheres to a certain set of principles, the more successful that service is in supporting people to achieve positive outcomes.
The Principles for England, published by Homeless Link in November 2016, are based on the evidence initially gathered by Pathways to Housing in the USA, and are aligned with the core principles in the FEANTSA Housing First Guide Europe.
They were developed with advice and support from the University of York, with feedback from Housing First providers and experts both in the UK and internationally.
It is recommended that commissioners and providers follow these principles as closely as possible when planning a Housing First service, and that those already delivering a project use them to review and refine their schemes on a regular basis.
In 2019 we developed guidance on how to deliver services with high fidelity to the principles. Please download the Principles booklet and guidance below.
The Principles for Housing FirstAbout our Hampshire programme
We work closely with our local authority on assisting them to house vulnerable individuals or those in vulnerable circumstances who may have been homeless for a number of years. For the support side of things, we work closely with our partner Two Saints.
Since 2019 we have housed seven beneficiaries and six still live with us today!
About our Somerset programme
We housed our first Housing beneficiary in July 2019, and have since housed 2 applicants a year in the Mendip region. We work very closely with Mendip District Council and the Connected Housing First Service who are based in Wells at The Connect Centre. It is through this service that Aster Groups housing team is able to directly allocate properties that we consider suitable for a Housing First applicant. All these beneficiaries have received intensive ongoing support from the Connected Housing First Service which has been very successful.
Contact us
If you want to learn more about the housing first programme as someone is homeless; or are an organisation would like support people on the programme by making a donation which support us to furnish these homes, please get in touch below: