WIREDGOV

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to tackling homelessness is the lack of suitable move on opportunities for the many residents of hostels and temporary accommodation who are more than ready for the next step in their lives.

Last year Homeless Link undertook work on behalf of Communities and Local Government to tackle this challenge. Working with homelessness officials and the voluntary sector in nine areas (1) they developed and tested a strategic approach to the problem. The result is the Move On Plans Protocol (MOPP).

Implementation of the protocol will provide housing authorities with a better understanding of move on need and allow them to overcome a range of barriers through formal partnerships with the voluntary sector. The protocol will make an important contribution to local authorities revising their homelessness strategies.

This week the Department and Homeless Link are writing jointly (2) to every housing director in England to promote the MOPP toolkit, which supports the use of the protocol in local areas.

Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link said: “If we want to overcome homelessness, eliminating the move on obstacle is critical. The MOPP provides local authorities and their voluntary sector partners with the tools they need to address the problem strategically. It enables joint ownership of the issues and will help deliver practical solutions.

Included with the letter to housing directors is a copy of the explanatory booklet Unlocking Solutions: Developing move on plans. It and the MOPP toolkit can be downloaded from the Homeless Link website at www.homeless.org.uk/policyandinfo/issues/rehousing/mopp .



NOTES TO EDITORS:
(1) The nine areas involved in the MOPP pilot project were: Brighton, Bristol, Herefordshire, Lambeth, Oxford, Plymouth, Wakefield, Westminster and York.
(2) For a copy of the letter to housing directors, go to www.homeless.org.uk/policyandinfo/issues/rehousing/moppletter