A national homelessness charity has recommended bringing in “smart cards” for homeless people to give them better access to health and housing services

The “passport to services” is part of a 10-point manifesto for homeless people launched on Tuesday by charity Homeless Link, which represents organisations working with rough sleepers.

The charity wants the next government to sign up to the plan, which includes ending homelessness within three terms.

The passport could either be a smart card or a database holding personal details and information about services that have been received, such as drug treatment, healthcare or housing assessments. It would stop assessment information being lost and assessments having to be repeated when a homeless person moves to a new area.

In addition, each homeless person could have a funding allocation that followed them as they moved across council boundaries.

At present funding is attached to places rather than people so some housing and health services are reluctant to help people who move into their area from somewhere else.

The manifesto also said the NHS must stop discharging homeless people from hospital onto the streets. Instead it should ensure patients have a home to go to when they leave.

Homeless Link’s director Jenny Edwards said she wanted the new government to follow the lead of the Scottish executive, which has pledged to end unintentional homelessness by 2012. She said: “The executive might not hit the target entirely but it is on a journey to reach that and we feel the next UK government should commit to a similar journey.”

A Labour party spokesman said: “We welcome the manifesto and will continue to work with the voluntary sector and councils to tackle the causes of homelessness.”

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were not available for comment.

Manifesto for the homeless

The next government must:

  • end UK homelessness within three terms

  • get those in temporary housing settled

  • ensure government departments work together effectively to prevent homelessness

  • stop homeless people being discharged from hospitals onto the streets

  • introduce a “service passport” for homeless people so they can continue to receive services wherever they move

  • provide effective services for homeless people who have multiple needs such as drug, alcohol or mental health problems

  • reform the benefits system

  •  create integrated housing and drug or alcohol treatment services

  • invest in cultural programmes that help people to reintegrate with society

  • improve services for asylum seekers and refugees, especially from new EU members.

Source

Housing Today