Novas Annual Report 2022

Annual Report 2022
In 2022, NOVAS provided support, accommodation and housing to 6,088
people, an increase of 1.8% compared to the previous 12-month period and
202% over 10 years.
Across this 10-year period, there was a substantial rise in people supported
by NOVAS, however the rate of growth has slowed recently, despite
unprecedented demand for services and a simultaneous rise in NOVAS’ social
housing stock. This is largely due to the reduction in the number of people
moving through NOVAS’ Temporary Supported Accommodation (STA). Moveon
from homeless accommodation has slowed considerably in recent years,
due to the lack of exit pathways for single individuals. Services designed
for stays of six-months or less have unintentionally become long-term
accommodation for many. Single people bear the brunt of this.
A dearth of one-bed units of accommodation in the private rented market,
soaring rents and an under supply of social housing stock, means that single
people can spend years living in emergency accommodation. At a time when
demand for such accommodation is higher than ever, fewer people are able
to access because of the length of time existing clients are living there, which
often exceeds the recommended duration.
Of residents who left our accommodation services last year, 19% had been
there for longer than six months and for those who were unsuccessful
in moving on, just over 30% has been there for longer than six months,
with 9% living in our services for more than two years. 1 This is a sectorwide
issue, with significant implications for the people stuck in emergency
accommodation for protracted periods of time, which often leads to
deteriorating mental and physical health, institutionalisation and exacerbated
issues relating to addiction.
However, despite these difficulties in securing long-term units of
accommodation, many clients successfully moved on to properties in the
private rented market and social housing provided by local authorities and
approved housing bodies, including NOVAS’ own stock. Indeed, our 2023-2027
Strategic Plan, has identified this need and has committed to developing more
units of housing for single homeless people during the length of the plan.
1. These statistics do not account for people living in different homeless services,
which would have increased length of stay even further.
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