Pilot will plot route out of hostels

A new scheme to tackle the longstanding problem of move-on accommodation for hostel residents is to be tested in 10 areas across England.

Charity Homeless Link will pilot and evaluate a prototype move-on plan over the next two years, bringing together providers and local authorities to assess the support needs of residents and plan pathways out of hostels.

The scheme will aim to help unblock hostel beds, which are often taken up by people who no longer need the 24-hour support that hostels provide but have nowhere to go.

Research published by Homeless Link in May revealed that 45 per cent of hostel beds were taken up by people waiting to move on.

The scheme is backed by £184,000 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s new £2m homelessness innovation fund, which is being used to fund an array of projects.