No Place Like Home
No Place Like Home is an Age UK pilot project that provides information, advice and support to older people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.
What is No Place Like Home?
This pilot aims to reduce homelessness and the risk of homelessness through offering the following 2 core activities:
- One-to-one sessions for older people who are either homeless or threatened with homelessness. These provide in-depth advice and support on their housing options, rights, and entitlements to adaptations and repairs, as well as support with income maximisation.
- Talks for an audience of older people, friends and family (group sessions) to raise awareness of financial and other support available for making home improvements.
Why is it needed?
Every year, Age UK receives thousands of enquiries linked to housing crises. Homelessness can be devastating for people of all ages, but for older people in particular, it poses wider implications for already stretched health and social care services.
Thousands of older people are accepted as homeless by local authorities every year and there are also many "hidden homeless" older people staying with friends or relatives in the short, medium and long term.
Thousands more live in unsuitable housing due to lack of aids and adaptations, which means they may be unable to get in and out of the house or move around safely within their home, and their quality of life is poor.
If we could find £10 billion to improve all of the 3.5 million 'poor' homes in England, this would save the NHS £1.4 billion in first year treatment costs alone (BRE Trust, 2010).
Based on existing trends, the scale of homelessness in later life (including those who live in housing that doesn't meet their needs) could double by 2025.
Where is the programme running?
No Place Like Home is delivered by 4 Age UK local sites across England:
The pilot project is running from October 2019 to October 2020. If you're interested in finding out more, contact your local participating Age UK or email adviceunit@ageuk.org.uk for more information.