Prevention of homelessness in practice

Effective prevention work should recognise the potential risk factors of homelessness, engage with people at risk of homelessness, use early intervention to avoid crisis, assess a person’s needs fully to make a suitable housing offer, and provide the necessary support to allow a person to retain their new tenancy.

Shelter suggests that prevention work can be split into 3 distinct areas: long-term prevention work; short-term prevention work; and the prevention of repeat homelessness.