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Housing Associations and Homelessness: The Quiet Backbone of the System

  • Aug 4
  • 3 min read
Cardboard house in the hands of a family.

Housing associations are a critical partner and a powerful route out of homelessness for many. They provide an opportunity for long-term, affordable housing, often with additional specialist support when needed for people facing housing insecurity, moving from temporary accommodation to more stability.


Across England, homelessness has continued to rise, and the number of children and families living in temporary accommodation is at a historic high. Housing associations have always been part of the response, and today they remain central to preventing and relieving homelessness.


New funding, new possibility

The UK government has committed £39 billion through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026-2036, described by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in June 2025 as the biggest cash injection into social and affordable housing in 50 years. For a sector under prolonged strain, this is a significant shift to long-term funding, long-term planning, and long-term homes.


What housing associations are doing right now

As the NHF Homelessness Survey Report 2023 outlines (National Housing Federation, February 2024):


  • Homelessness prevention is a strategic priority for housing associations.

  • The most common support offered is tenancy sustainment, mitigating eviction risk, and welfare advice - practical interventions that stop homelessness before it starts.

  • Well over two thirds of providers have developed new approaches to prevention, including Housing First, rough sleeper accommodation, and cost of living support funds.


In practice, this looks like:

  • Affordable housing supply permanent, stable alternatives to temporary accommodation, B&Bs or rough sleeping.

  • Housing First delivery, with wraparound support.

  • Specialist support staff helping tenants manage mental health, substance use, welfare systems and tenancy sustainment.

  • Local authority partnerships working closely with councils on emergency referrals and eviction prevention.


That local presence matters. Housing associations are rooted in the communities they serve, and that proximity makes the partnership with local authorities more effective.


Why this work is so hard

To date, housing associations have operated in a system under real strain. Supply, affordability and rising need are pulling in different directions, while providers are trying to embed prevention, support and innovation into already stretched capacity.

This is where trauma-informed practice becomes essential.


Why trauma-informed approaches change what's possible

Housing associations aren't just landlords. For many people, they are the first stable point of contact after trauma, eviction, rough sleeping, exploitation or long periods of instability.


The NHF survey found that the most common types of staff training already offered across the sector are person-centred support, trauma-informed care, and psychologically informed environments, recognition that technical housing knowledge alone isn't enough, and that housing work is also fundamentally about relational approaches.


A trauma-informed approach helps staff:

  • Understand behaviour in context

  • Respond in ways that build trust and safety

  • Reduce eviction risk and strengthen tenancy sustainment

  • Support people experiencing multiple disadvantage


"To support us on our PIE journey we are very excited to be partnered with aneemo and Dr Emma Williamson. So far 353 Your Homes Newcastle and Newcastle City Council staff have been enrolled onto the aneemo platform to help better understand and feel more equipped to deal with some of the psychological and mental health difficulties that our customers (and colleagues) might be experiencing. The training provided through aneemo is excellent and Dr Williamson and the aneemo team are inspiring and great to work with."

Gemma Shiel, Senior Manager, Support and Progression, Your Homes Newcastle.


When staff feel confident, tenants feel safer, which leads to improved outcomes.


Support that's available right now, at no cost

For housing association staff, understanding the complexity behind behaviour changes everything: how a conversation is approached, how risk is assessed, how a tenancy is sustained.


To support that, aneemo has two grant-funded courses available at no cost:

  1. Improving Access to Services for Clients Experiencing Multiple Disadvantage -practical learning for frontline teams working with people facing complex, overlapping needs.

  2. Rough Sleeping Mental Health Awareness - building awareness and confidence for anyone working alongside people who have experienced rough sleeping.


Both are self-paced and CPD accredited. If you'd like to get started, you can register yourself today or get in touch and we'll enrol your whole team.


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