Shelters

Homeless shelters are a basic form of temporary accommodation where a bed is provided in a shared space overnight. One of the key features of a homeless shelter is that it is transitional and an option for those homeless who are not yet eligible for more stable accommodation. Shelters are not usually seen as stable forms of accommodation as the individual must vacate the space during daytime hours with their belongings. Homeless shelters often place additional requirements on potential users including night time curfews.

Homeless shelters are not always free, and some shelters will charge the individuals a fee for the bed, while others require that users be claiming benefits from the government. Additional services that may or may not be provided by the homeless shelter are warm meals for dinner and breakfast or support from volunteers who help individuals make connections to other services.

Day shelters for homeless individuals act as a drop-in centre, often aimed towards those homeless with additional needs such as substance abuse, or mental illness. Services may include access to case workers, meals, access to laundry facilities, or support groups. The obvious difference between night and day shelters is that a day shelter will not offer a bed to the individuals who use the services.

Homeless families will also utilise homeless shelters. Although authorities have increased responsibility to rehouse families with children into stable accommodation more efficiently, families are sometimes be placed in a shelter as an emergency measure. When children are residing in a shelter other child services will usually become involved to ensure their safety and welfare. Homeless families will often be provided with additional support such as a case management worker. Homeless families will usually be kept together, so their accommodation will often be a bedsit room or apartment.

Some criticisms of homeless shelters relate to overcrowding, physical altercations, theft, substance abuse, and unhygienic sleeping conditions.

The goal of homeless shelters is to provide accommodation for people who have nowhere to sleep. Homeless shelters are used to quickly deal with emergency situations such as adverse weather conditions or domestic abuse.

Homeless shelters are viewed as an adequate option for those homeless people who do not have the option of safe, stable housing.

How is the intervention meant to work?

Homeless shelters provide emergency accommodation and refuge for those at the point of crisis. This provision of a bed seeks to protect the individual from adverse environmental conditions and physical or psychological illnesses associated with spending the nights on the streets.

Of the six studies included in this summary, five were conducted in North America and one was conducted in Holland. Four studies were randomised control trials and two were cohort studies.

Three studies measured two outcomes in their evaluation of shelters, while the remaining three studies measured three outcomes. Of the six included studies, five measured outcomes relating to health and substance abuse, three looked at the effects of shelters on employment and income, two measured outcomes related to housing stability, two looked at capabilities and wellbeing, two were interested in access to services, and one measured the cost of the shelter.

The effectiveness of shelters is measured across this range of outcomes at various time points. The longest follow-up of included participants was two years.

Train staff to make service users feel welcome

If you are implementing a shelter service, create a welcoming environment with clear rules. To build trust, ensure that your staff have excellent people skills and make service users feel listened to and cared for.

Focus on next-stage housing

Staff should focus on helping service users to move on to more permanent housing. A shortage of appropriate move-on accommodation may mean that people remain in short-term hostels for longer than necessary, taking up spaces needed by new arrivals.

Collaborate with other services

Partnerships and joint-working protocols with other agencies can help service users move on to more permanent accommodation and access multi-agency support.

Ensure funding is consistent

If you’re involved with funding for shelters, offer consistent and long-term funding to promote stable service provision. You should also think about how to ensure funding and provision is seamless across accommodation and support services.

Consider specific user needs

Ensure you offer flexible support that can be tailored to meet the needs of specific groups, e.g. young people, LGBT people and people who have experienced trauma. Staff may need additional training to be able to meet different needs.