Employment and training opportunities for homeless families

71% of households in temporary accommodation are ‘unemployed’. At the end of March 2005, temporary accommodation leased by local authorities or housing associations from the Private Rented Sector, accounted for 50% of placements and was the largest type of temporary accommodation used. Research indicates that the high level of rents charged to live in this type of accommodation create significant disincentives to work.

Working Future was a joint initiative between the Greater London Authority, East Thames and the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Newham, targeting homeless households in temporary accommodation. The project combined measures to tackle the benefits trap created by high rents, with targeted assistance to overcome other barriers to employment.

Working Future subsidised rent for families taking part in the project, reducing the cost of their private sector rent to social housing level. This means that people have a realistic opportunity to overcome their reliance on Housing Benefit, escape the poverty trap, and gain employment.

People taking part in the programme were assigned a project worker to coach and help them explore and gain opportunities for work.

By end of December 2007, 192 individuals had joined the scheme, 64 had moved on to further training/education and 42 had accessed employment opportunities.

Download Working Future Evaluation Report (966 Kb)

“Participants are overwhelmingly positive about their experience of the project and the support offered to them by the project workers. Most customers have participated in the project for genuinely aspirational reasons, to move into employment and secure a better life for their families” - Working Future Evaluation