The Systems-wide Evaluation is an important piece of research into why homelessness happens in England and how our responses to it are working or not. Our research listens closely to those delivering on the ground, since they’re best placed to tell us what is going on.

It was commissioned by the government department responsible for homelessness (The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government) and led by the Centre for Homelessness Impact. The first findings were published in 2025 and showed that most government funding and efforts had been spent on crisis relief rather than prevention, that different departments’ priorities can clash unintentionally, and that local partnerships make a real difference. We’re proud that this research informed the National Plan to End Homelessness.

Thinking across the whole piece

Most evaluations look at just one project and try to find out whether it worked. But we take a step back and look at the whole system (that’s why we call this a ‘systems-wide’ approach). That means looking at all the things that affect homelessness: housing, welfare, health, prison release, immigration, along with the councils and charities that deliver services. We ask how those parts work together, where they push against each other, and where changes could make the biggest difference.

Imagine a leaking bath. Most evaluations want to test whether a particular bucket is good at catching the water. But we’re asking why the bath is leaking in the first place. Where are the leaks? Are other baths in the neighbourhood doing the same thing? Is anyone fixing the source of the leak? It’s easy to ask whether a single intervention works or shout down something for not working. It’s harder, and less popular in our modern political environment, to ask what is happening across the whole system and why.

Homelessness doesn’t sit in one team, one department or one budget. Housing, health, criminal justice, immigration, welfare and so many other things in our society all shape who ends up without a home and how quickly they leave that situation. If we only try to manage the crisis at the end, we’ll always be playing catch-up. That’s why prevention has to sit alongside our response to rough sleeping and homelessness, not behind it.

Change is here, now

The government has set out a National Plan to End Homelessness. Alongside this are immediate priorities, including getting families out of temporary accommodation and a commitment to make sure everyone has an offer to come off the streets this Christmas. Both need to be informed by evidence, not just good intentions. 

Our research will help answer the big questions policymakers have right now. What is needed from outside the homelessness sector to prevent and sustain change? What are the barriers that keep families in temporary accommodation? What makes an exit from rough sleeping last, rather than becoming a pause before the next crisis?  Our research helps get a systems-wide view, including other areas that are especially complex; criminal justice, financial insecurity, and domestic abuse.

Why phase 4 will be interesting

Now we’re working towards the project finish line, it’s the most exciting time for the project. We’ve started to pull all of this learning all together and translate it into practical and policy terms. We’ll show what stronger systems do differently, based on evidence rather than assumption. 

The impact we want

There is cross-government desire to learn from the systems-wide evaluation. It is a globally ground-breaking, unprecedented and ambitious approach to driving change. Our aim is practical. We want government, regional bodies and local partners to understand how well their systems are working, and where to focus effort for the best chance to make lasting change. 

Stay in the loop

We’ll be releasing many useful and interesting things through 2027, from early insights to the final report and practical resources that local areas can use.  Whether you’re working in a Local Authorities or elsewhere in the homelessness sector, there will be something great for you! The best way to make sure you see it first is to sign up to our newsletter.

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