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Homelessness and substance misuse services are failing to work together to support homeless drug users, according to a report published today.
 
Efforts to place homeless people in treatment are “going to waste” when they are not able to get suitable accommodation, the research by campaign group Homeless Link found.
 
This was despite figures cited in the report showing that drug users were seven times more likely to be homeless than the general population, while three-quarters of homeless people had a history of problematic substance misuse – a number that rose among rough sleepers.

 
More than two-fifths of homeless people cited drug use as the main reason for homelessness, while two-thirds said their problem had got worse after becoming homeless.
 
Homeless Link chief executive Jenny Edwards said: “Our research demonstrates the urgent need to link up drug and housing services much more effectively to help people escape homelessness and addiction. It shows that with the right environment and support, lives can be turned around. The results can be inspiring when we stop wasting public money on doomed treatment.”
 
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Homeless Link