By Lígia Teixeira and Stephen Aldridge

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In the complex world of homelessness, where challenges seem insurmountable and solutions often elusive, it's easy to get lost in the weeds. We grapple with immediate crises, responding to urgent needs and putting out fires. But what if we could take a step back, rise above the daily struggles, and gain a bird's eye view of the entire system? What if we could understand the intricate web of interconnected factors that contribute to homelessness and see how our interventions interact, for better or worse?

This is the ambition behind the UK government's groundbreaking Systems-wide Evaluation of the homelessness and rough sleeping system, commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Inspired by the Centre for Homelessness Impact’s SHARE framework, which emphasises the importance of a systems perspective, this evaluation offers a unique opportunity to understand the complexity of homelessness from a broader vantage point. It represents an important shift—from focusing just on individual programmes to examining how the system as a whole operates and where it could be improved.

The value of this approach is clear. Too often, efforts to tackle homelessness are fragmented—designed to address urgent needs rather than the structural drivers behind them. By taking a bird’s eye view, the evaluation reveals the intricate relationships between different parts of the system, highlighting both the pressure points that sustain homelessness and the opportunities for more effective, coordinated action.

The interim findings of the evaluation paint a vivid picture of these dynamics. Rising rents, welfare reform, and a shortage of affordable housing continue to place intense pressure on the system. These external forces, combined with limited specialist support services, push the public sector into reactive crisis management. Despite widespread recognition that prevention is more effective and cost-efficient, the system remains oriented toward immediate relief—providing temporary accommodation or emergency support—rather than addressing the root causes. Without a shift in focus, the risk is that interventions will always be playing catch-up, rather than reducing the flow of people into homelessness in the first place.

At the same time, the evaluation highlights the challenges created by competing policy priorities across government. When different departments pursue separate goals without alignment, the result can be policies that inadvertently work against each other—undermining efforts to prevent homelessness. Yet, there are also encouraging signs. Across the country, there is evidence of strong local partnerships where services are being integrated more effectively, despite the constraints (room for improvement in integrating services and funding). These examples show that greater alignment between national policy and local delivery is both possible and necessary if the system is to become more effective.

The findings also point to a deeper issue: how we measure success. Key homelessness and rough sleeping programmes—such as the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, the Rough Sleeping Initiative, and the Homelessness Prevention Grant—are seen as making a positive difference. However, measuring their true impact is difficult because funding streams are often used interchangeably. Without a clear and consistent framework to track outcomes, it becomes challenging to know which interventions are making the greatest difference—and where resources could be used more effectively.

Taken together, these insights suggest that to take efforts to the next level a new approach is needed—one that reflects the fact that addressing homelessness is not simply a matter of improving individual programmes. It requires understanding how different interventions interact and ensuring that policies reinforce, rather than undermine, one another. This means adopting a public health-inspired approach that focuses on prevention and identifies those at risk of homelessness before they reach a crisis point. Success cannot simply be measured by how many people are moved off the streets or out of temporary accommodation. Instead, the emphasis must shift to reducing the number of people who become homeless in the first place.

This kind of structural shift also demands a more intelligent use of data. With better data and risk assessments, it becomes easier to identify those most vulnerable and intervene earlier. This data-driven approach can improve decision-making at every level—ensuring that interventions are not only evidence-based but also responsive to emerging risks. The evaluation also suggests that consolidating and streamlining funding mechanisms could improve both efficiency and effectiveness. Simplifying funding structures would give local authorities the flexibility to deliver services tailored to their communities while maintaining a clear focus on outcomes.

Crucially, the government is already acting on these insights. The interim findings are being used to inform the upcoming spending review and the government’s new homelessness strategy, expected to be published in the spring. This reflects a commitment to applying a systems-wide lens to policy decisions—recognising that lasting progress requires coordinated action across departments and levels of government.

The implications of this evaluation extend beyond the immediate policy landscape. It provides a blueprint for a more integrated and preventative approach to social challenges—one that moves beyond the fragmented, reactive responses that have dominated public service delivery for too long. This approach is not just about making the system more efficient—it is about creating the conditions where fewer people become homeless in the first place.

The UK’s Systems-wide Evaluation offers an unprecedented opportunity to turn these insights into action. By adopting a bird’s eye view, policymakers can move beyond crisis management to create a more proactive, preventative, and ultimately effective system for ending homelessness.

Want to learn more about this groundbreaking evaluation? You can access the full report here. 

Do you have any ideas on how we can use this systems-level perspective to drive meaningful change in efforts to end and prevent homelessness? Do share them with us at systemwidetestandlearn@homelessnessimpact.org

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• Lígia Teixeira is Chief Executive of the Centre for Homelessness Impact
• Stephen Aldridge is Director for Analysis and Data & Chief Economist at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

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