Hull City Council, working alongside other local authorities, is joining a new collaborative network called the What Works Community, to improve response to homelessness and reduce the use of temporary accommodation.
The What Works Community will provide a space for councils to develop ideas, network with peers and receive world-class guidance on improving their homelessness service.
It provides an intensive six-month learning journey aimed at improving the use of data and evidence in order to develop policies.
Councillor John Black, Hull City Council’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “We are passionate about working with our residents and partners to reduce the harm that homelessness does to our communities and improving services. We have joined the What Works Community to accelerate our work and to use data to better understand problems and invest in permanent solutions.”
Each of the participating local authorities will take a look at how they can provide better outcomes for people experiencing homelessness in their area. With expert guidance, each local authority will come up with a unique solution, tailored to the needs of their community.
Councils taking part in the 2021 programme will benefit from free expert guidance from experts across the world. As well as the Centre for Homelessness Impact, they will receive training and resources from Johns Hopkins University and the Behavioural Insights Team.
The Community is the first of its kind in the UK and follows a successful pilot programme run in 2019/20 focussed on tackling issues in the private rented sector.
Dr Ligia Teixeira, CEO of the Centre for Homelessness Impact, said: “I am delighted to welcome all of the local authorities into the latest What Works Community cohort. By joining the programme they are showing a true dedication to effective programme solving and improving outcomes for everyone in their communities.
“The needs of local authorities are as diverse as the communities they represent and we’re excited to be working with a variety of new 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.”
