Homeless Places Project Direct Access Hostel & Night Shelter Survey Summary of Findings

Until now, research on emergency services for single homeless people in Britain has concentrated on London. The 'Homeless Places ' project aims to develop a picture of the extent and nature of such services across England, Scotland and Wales outside of London. Furthermore, it compares the experiences of homeless people and service providers in different places by exploring how they negotiate various service networks, funding arrangements and regulatory regimes. The project has involved a national survey of emergency services (these being direct access hostels and night shelters, day/drop-in centres, and soup runs/kitchens) and a series of interview-based case studies in several different locations. The research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and conducted by a team of three researchers at the University of Bristol and Queen Mary, University of London. This report provides a brief synopsis of the key findings from one of the extensive surveys. It provides insight into the structure, scale, conditions, and aims of hostels and night shelters at the national scale, as well as th