Local authorities and housing providers can now access a free resource aimed at reducing veterans’ homelessness.
The No Homeless Veterans toolkit has been designed as part of a collaborative campaign by the Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation (Stoll), Homeless Link and the National Housing Federation.
The toolkit contains a self-audit for local authorities and housing providers to complete to assess how well they’re meeting the housing needs of veterans. It provides detailed information on requirements, guidance on ways to improve and examples of best practice and innovation.
Most Armed Forces veterans make a smooth transition from military to civilian life. Yet every year around 300 to 400 veterans end up homeless, and at any one time up to 4,000 require urgent support to find accommodation.??
Richard Gammage, CEO of Stoll, said: ‘We know that those supporting homeless veterans are working hard to identify them, but that not all have a sufficiently robust system in place. We can now help with that. It’s vital that veterans have a safe place to live to help them rebuild their lives. That’s why we’re supporting local authorities, housing associations and supported housing providers with the tools and information they need to drive down veterans’ homelessness.’
Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Link, said: ‘We want to ensure that veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness are identified and steered to the support they’re entitled to as quickly as possible. This free toolkit will give staff all the information they need to be compliant with statutory guidance and go above and beyond to support veterans’ housing needs.’
