Our team was commissioned by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to advise on suitable designs for a systems-wide evaluation of the homelessness and rough sleeping (HRS) system.

After performing an extensive review of the literature and data sources, we engaged with stakeholders, conducting interviews and focus groups with local authorities, service providers, and service users. Based on the findings from our fieldwork and our expertise in the HRS sector, we developed a set of options for the evaluation of funding and policymaking decisions at the central and local government levels.

Our proposed options include both qualitative approaches (e.g. Most Significant Change) and quantitative approaches (e.g. microsimulation modelling) in line with HM Treasury’s Magenta Book. We also developed a Value for Money framework to support evidence-based funding decisions that prioritise programmes providing maximum impact given the available resources.

Through the joint effort of our team of economists and developers, we also developed two innovative web tools: (i) an interactive Theory of Change bringing together pathways through which national HRS policies, programmes, and funding streams generate impact within the HRS system and (ii) an HRS service map depicting pathways of HRS service provision available to individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping.

➥ Find the full report here.