Secondary prevention targets people at higher risk of homelessness—intervening early, before a crisis happens. If support is available at the right time, homelessness can be avoided.
The Problem: Quick fix approaches
Homelessness is still too often treated as a crisis to be managed—once someone has already lost their home. But many people at high risk of homelessness are visible long before that crisis hits. Key transitions—such as leaving care, prison, hospital, or the armed forces—are moments when people can fall through the cracks and become homeless.
Despite the evidence, governments often still prioritise short-term emergency responses. Services are under pressure, and most homelessness spending focuses on reacting to crisis, not stopping it in the first place.
The Solution: Collaborative, timely, targeted.
World Habitat Award-winning projects SIPHO (Barcelona) and Newcastle’s Homelessness Prevention Trailblazer show how secondary prevention can work. In Barcelona, where many evictions stem from private rental sector insecurity, SIPHO offers tailored support within 48 hours of an eviction notice—mediating with landlords and helping tenants stay in their homes.
In Newcastle, the Trailblazer programme uses data across housing, health, education, and employment to spot early warning signs—like rent arrears or hospital admissions—before they escalate. Support is embedded in local services like GPs, schools, and housing teams, ensuring no one slips through the cracks.
Another key example is Homes for Good in Glasgow—Scotland’s first social lettings agency. It provides high-quality, affordable homes in the private rented sector for people on low incomes. More than 90% of its 350+ tenants receive housing benefits, with an average tenancy length of four years and rent arrears below 2%. By combining decent housing with intensive tenancy support, Homes for Good prevents homelessness and promotes long-term stability.
Other effective secondary prevention tools include family mediation, and Help to Rent, or Private rented sector (PRS) access schemes. These schemes, usually managed by the non-profit sector, provide rent deposit guarantees, support for tenants and landlords, and help to secure stable tenancies in the social PRS market.
The Geelong Project in Australia offers a pioneering example of prevention focused on school-age children at risk of homelessness. Through regular school-based surveys, the project identifies young people showing early warning signs—such as family conflict or housing instability—and connects them and their families with tailored support in the community. In the UK, organisations involved in The Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme are implementing similar models with Upstream delivered by Roundabout Homeless Charity in Sheffield, based also on Canada’s Upstream programme.
Critical Time Intervention (CTI) is another proven model. It supports people through high-risk transitions—such as leaving care, psychiatric treatment, or prison—offering rapid access to housing and personalised case management. It has been used effectively with veterans and others vulnerable to homelessness
All of these interventions share common features:
- Personalised, timely support
- Strong cross-sector coordination
- Fast access to housing and financial help
- A belief that everyone deserves a safe home
Together, these examples show that secondary prevention works—when action is timely, targeted, and embedded into everyday systems.
The Impact: Minimising risk and maintaining housing stability
These projects show how early action, when targeted at high-risk groups, really work. SIPHO in Barcelona, for example, has prevented 9 out of 10 evictions and the programme has led to a city-wide reduction of evictions of of 22%. The Geelong project in schools has led to a 40% reduction in youth homelessness it’s first three years.
Secondary prevention also helps minimise or avoid the long-term costs of homelessness to the public purse. In Newcastle, fewer people are now presenting at the local authority as homeless, and the scheme has demonstrated clear cost benefits, with £2.20 saved for every £1 invested—thanks to avoided emergency and long-term costs.
