Which Way Home? 7 The notion of independent living was itself noted Providing a wide service mix as requiring greater clarity and discussion. In this One area of discussion was providing for the respect, the term ‘independent living’ was viewed needs of all service users. A common theme as the decisions that service users make about returned to by respondents was providing for the the type of accommodation they would choose to service users who may not find that a move into live in, rather than a definition of a specific type of stand-alone accommodation was suited to their housing option (i.e. scattered housing). One needs. This is a point that has also been raised respondent felt that independent living should elsewhere (see Brooke, 2011). These embrace the preferred choices that service users discussions included reference to evaluations make for any type of accommodation – be that that reported the proportion of people for whom stand-alone accommodation, congregate settings the Pathways Housing First approach in the or communal living – rather than associated only United States had not ended homelessness. with stand-alone accommodation in scattered Whilst respondents who had communal living as locations. part of their service mix felt that these were Respondents also discussed the skill sets appropriate to the level of need in their areas, required by staff in order to take forwards congregate housing models were more often housing-led approaches, and that the specific viewed as a gap in their services. Some service nature of the competencies required to deliver users with a background in entrenched chronic housing-led services should not be under- homelessness, with long-standing experience of estimated. In this respect a couple of institutional living were often felt to express a respondents reflected on strategies for staff preference for some form of communal recruitment that emphasised the underlying ethos experience, or at least the potential for social and values that potential members of staff could contact within some form of group setting. For bring to a post, rather than experience in the example, fifty per cent of people who are long delivery of models of care and support. term homeless on Cork Simon housing waiting list expressed a preference for High Support The role of emergency accommodation (Congregate) housing, compared with fifty per cent who wished for an independent apartment. Demand for emergency services was reported across the Simon Communities as on the As one focus group respondent commented, increase. There was considerable discussion within some of the Simon Communities about the “ laiugehing.tIhetbanteornene noew.ave’aegiggle,ysawlareWhwgrihrmehnotntsL role of emergency accommodation as whatever. And laugh, laugh, laugh. There’s a organisations transition towards Housing-led great comfort level. There’s no hassle and no approaches. There was a strong view that stress. You know what the rules are. Easy investment needs to take place in developing the going. There’s no stigma (Service user). supply of independent accommodation and supported housing prior to curtailing emergency A clear message from a number of the Simon provision, especially in the face of sustained Communities was the ‘safety net’ role of High demand from people who are homeless: Support Housing in their areas. A significant variations on the comment ‘putting the cart before proportion of the residents in these types of the horse’ were common. At the same time it was accommodation had lived in stand-alone felt that there would always be some need for apartments, and had given up or lost their emergency accommodation. The emergency tenancies. In other areas service users were services provided by the Simon Communities reliant on whatever other options were available. offer an example of high quality accommodation This often included emergency accommodation, combined with a settlement orientation. or in the absence of this service, then a return to rough sleeping. Nevertheless, there were a variety of perspectives on taking the housing-led models forwards in this regard.
Which Way Home?
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