Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Housing First interventions for people experiencing homelessness on (a) health outcomes and (b) costs to the NHS.

The Department is committed to improving health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to support those experiencing homelessness with multiple and complex needs.

The Government published an evaluation of the Housing First pilots, including their impact on health outcomes, a copy of which is attached. However, Housing First is not a Department of Health and Social Care policy, therefore the National Health Service has not undertaken analysis of its effectiveness and costs.