Helping homeless people at an early stage is crucial if councils want to avoid spiralling bills, homelessness charity Crisis said today.
A report has warned the lives of vulnerable people on the streets can quickly get out of control if support is lacking, leading to mental and physical health issues, violent crime and problems with substance abuse. Ultimately, this leads for the need for expensive public services whether in hospitals or through psychiatric support.
The ‘Financial Costs of Single Homelessness in the UK’ study claims that tackling the issue earlier could save the taxpayer between £3,000 and £18,000 for every person helped.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis said: ‘Homelessness has a terrible human cost, but it's also incredibly expensive for the public purse.
‘Helping people to stay off the streets and rebuild their lives is about basic social justice - it's the right thing to do - and this study shows that it makes good economic sense too. Our calculations suggest that it could save the taxpayer as much as £18,000 per year for every person helped.
‘The logic is clear: preventing homelessness saves lives, but also reduces public costs.
‘It's essential that homeless people get help at an early stage. Yet we know from previous research that single homeless people who ask their councils for help are often turned away with no choice but to sleep on the streets. This can be catastrophic for the individual, but it's also a false economy for public services. We urgently need a review of the law as it applies to single homeless people so that everyone can get the help they need.’
