Three local authorities in Scotland, Wales and England have agreed to join a pilot which aims to help them improve their use of evidence and data in order to tackle homelessness.
East Ayrshire, Pembrokeshire and Southend-On-Sea councils have been set the challenge of increasing the duration and number of successful tenancies in the private rental market for people who are homeless or at risk.
The pilot aims to help local areas reduce homelessness through becoming evidence and data driven; more effectively prioritising resources and efforts; embracing a culture of collaboration and continuous learning; and nurturing strong, visionary leaders to collaborate across silos.
The Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI) – the charity running the pilot – will provide experts to help the local authorities. They will also receive support from Johns Hopkins University, the Behavioural Insights Team, and IDEO.
At the end of the pilot programme, the three council teams will pitch their solutions, share their experiences and plan with leadership and others to operationalise their initiative.
Dr Ligia Teixeira, CEO of the CHI commented: ‘The needs of local authorities are as varied as the communities they represent and we’re excited to be working with three councils who bring unique challenges to the table.
‘What they all have in common is their commitment to improving the lives of their citizens and an understanding that making more effective use of data and evidence can aid them in their goals.
‘They have difficult jobs to do, but we want to make them easier by helping them to be more effective. That’s why we’re excited to be partnering with some of the world’s experts in behavioural science, evaluation, data science and design to give local authorities the tools required to increase their capacity to tackle a multitude of challenges and deliver innovative solutions.’
