
Limerick Youth Housing Report
Just Economics was commissioned to evaluate the Limerick Youth Housing Project (LHYP), a homelessness intervention modelled on the Housing First approach developed in the US and Canada.
Our work on housing and homelessness spans a range of projects, from supporting the development of the evidence base for Housing First through to projects related to assisting people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes. Previous clients include Focus Ireland, Emmaus and St. Mungos.
Just Economics was commissioned to evaluate the Limerick Youth Housing Project (LHYP), a homelessness intervention modelled on the Housing First approach developed in the US and Canada.
In 2017, Britain was in the grip of a housing and homelessness crisis and London boroughs such as Haringey experienced alarming increases in the numbers of people sleeping rough in the preceeding years. In response, Haringey Council, St. Mungo’s and Thames Reach began delivering a two-year programeme to improve outcomes for rough sleepers. The HRSP was only one of several pots of funding aimed at tackling rough sleeping during this period, which (along with policy changes affecting rought sleepers) made attribution of outcomes to the programme challenging. Nonetheless, data show a 40% reduction in rough sleeping to November 2018, which was sustained over the following 12 months. despite significant implementation challenges, positive outcomes were reported from the HRSP workstreams. Recommendations focused on the need for better programme scoping and planning to preempt implementation challenges.
Emmaus Communities offer homeless people companionship, a place to live and work, and an opportunity to integrate back into mainstream society. For those that need and want it, the Emmaus community also offers Companions – as residents are known – a permanent home. Just Economics was commissioned to conduct an SROI analysis of the impact of Emmaus communities across the UK, and explore the success of the approach in ending homelessness in the UK.
Golden Lane Housing (GLH) was established as an independent national charity by Mencap to help tackle the problems that people with a learning disability face when trying to finding a home. Just Economics supported GLH to produce their first social impact report for the Social Stock Exchange in 2015, with an update in 2016. This included theory of change development, analysis of existing data as well as the gathering of case study data.