Episode #42: Tackling homelessness without strings attached – Greater Change

Homelessness in the UK is on the rise. This includes people sleeping rough as well as families with children living in temporary accommodation. Moving out of homelessness and into securing housing is an uphill battle. Social housing is often unavailable, and private rents are exorbitantly high. On top of that, people are asked to navigate an opaque welfare system, making them jump through hoops to get access to benefits or other forms of support.

Now imagine this: When providing support to someone experiencing homelessness, ask them what they need, and provide it – directly, and without strings attached.

This is Greater Change.

In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Tan, co-founder and CEO of Greater Change. We talk about the work of Greater Change, how it’s different from other organisations aiming to tackle homelessness and the interaction of their support with wider systemic issues that lead to housing insecurity for hundreds of thousands of people across the UK.

Greater Change provides personalised cash support to people experiencing homelessness so each individual can meet their needs, identified by themselves. From paying down rent arrears to avoid eviction to helping purchase thick curtains to avoid draughts in poorly insulated social housing, the organisation works with frontline service providers to give quick and unconditional financial support. Not as the sole solution to ending homelessness, but as one of the ways to offer a trajectory to prevent or move out of housing insecurity.

During our conversation, Jonathan refers to TA – which is temporary accommodation, and to DWP – which is the Department for Work and Pensions, or the government department responsible for benefits and welfare support in the UK. He also makes reference to Greater Change’s latest impact report, which can be found here: Impact Report 22/23

Photo by Andras Stefuca via Pexels.com