Dormitory-style night shelters tackling street homelessness are harmful. At best, they protect an already very disadvantaged group from some harms, while generating & deepening manifold others. Nor do they reliably lead to sustainable rehousing... ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/ij...

Really pleased to see this from SMF, showing the role that Housing First needs to play in finally, sustainably, turning the tide on rough sleeping in England. I hope those working on the *much anticipated* cross-government homelessness strategy are taking note.

Wall to wall dads (except me) at the toddler trampolining session this morning, and absolutely no mystery to me why. Jeez!

Some heatwave weekend reading on why devolution needs to be talked about more in connection with the disability social security cuts. @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social blog w/ @safety-nets.bsky.social colleagues @haylesben.bsky.social @sionedps.bsky.social blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

The trial 56-day 'move-on' period for newly-recognised refugees to find somewhere to live has been extended, the government has confirmed.

Groundbreaking new research by @i-sphere.bsky.social finds Black families have to disguise their identities to avoid #discrimination in housing, employment & essential services More here: tinyurl.com/2etwp8ny #HeriotWattUni #Homelessness @raceontheagenda.bsky.social @crisis-uk.bsky.social ‬

𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗞 An analysis of 750,000 household records from the statutory homelessness system reveals that only 10% of Black families gained social housing compared to 24% of White families. doi.org/10.17861/D78... @raceontheagenda.bsky.social @crisis-uk.bsky.social

Sad news indeed

It was a real pleasure to be able to mark and celebrate Maggie Brunjes - the inimitable, legendary Chief Executive of Homeless Network Scotland - receiving an honorary doctorate from @heriotwattuni.bsky.social last week. Congratulations Maggie on all of your achievements.

Loki is giving military leader vibes today.

Free School Meals support in the holidays is now the largest category of Household Support Fund expenditure. This is arguably not an ideal use of what is supposed to be crisis support funding and would be better covered by an increased Free School Meals budget instead.

Love this - a really useful framing to help bolster the normative underpinnings of the social security system and employment support.

Please join us on 20th May for our next @i-sphere.bsky.social /Centre for Homelessness & Inclusion Health webinar with @popmhuk.bsky.social's Natasha Chilman on The public health significance of prior homelessness: findings on multimorbidity & mental health from a nationally representative survey...

Please join us on 20th May for our next @i-sphere.bsky.social /Centre for Homelessness & Inclusion Health webinar with @popmhuk.bsky.social's Natasha Chilman on The public health significance of prior homelessness: findings on multimorbidity & mental health from a nationally representative survey...

In a long held tradition of watching zeitgeist TV shows years after their release, the time has come to watch Black Mirror… What the actual *^%>?!

My daughter, 3, to our friend: “can I come to your house and see your mess?”

Of course I’d rather Labour had won the by-election and losing by six votes is astonishing. But I hope Starmer takes the message that Reform are better at being Reform than Labour, and Labour’s best bet is to go back to being Labour.

Another dark day in UK politics. Devastating.

Lovely to end the week with this dropping onto the doormat. A real pleasure to be part of this collection with @lynnemcmordie.bsky.social, and a tiny part of a wider and brilliant flurry of work on structural injustice and Iris Marion Young’s ideas. Thanks @vmantouvalou.bsky.social!

Housing and Welfare Outcomes in Norway, with HOUSINGWEL/Oslo Met's Kristin Aarland and Jardar Sørvoll. April 29, 11am-12:15pm. Please join us for our next @i-sphere.bsky.social /CHIH webinar. Sign up here: forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

When people say ‘your daughter is fabulous, happy, secure… so you must be doing a great job’. As if they’re highly sceptical and reserving judgement. Could be luck so far, DNA. Let’s wait and see.

I'm not allowed to share these kinds of scholarships though my university email anymore so am doing so here. Scholarships for members of the LGBTQ+ STEM community. ostem.org/Page/scholar...

"Local welfare alone can’t solve child poverty, but if well-funded it helps" - read new blog from some of the Safety Nets team including @haylesben.bsky.social and @bethwcobbe.bsky.social 👇 blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

Why we don’t need Westminster to tackle destitution in Scotland. I'm delighted to have co-written this piece in today's Herald with my @i-sphere.bsky.social colleague Rhiannon Sims... www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Powerful words and moral leadership from @maggiechapman.bsky.social, drawing attention to our research on destitution intentionally driven by the UK immigration system. Thank you Maggie.

Is there more the Scottish Government could do to mitigate hostile environment immigration policy? New piece by me for @heraldscotland.bsky.social, on new legal analysis showing what can be done to alleviate destitution, despite Home Office restrictions www.heraldscotland.com/news/2504743...

Great article on the “shocking” levels of destitution found in #Scotland by Professor @bethwcobbe.bsky.social and her team caused by the UK Govt’s hostile environment policies - what @lawmanity.com suggests Scottish Govt can do to address it

I've just heard that some food banks have introduced a charge to access them. Can anyone confirm whether that's right, how common and what level of charge? We're finding it excludes people who can't access mainstream supports because of their immigration status, who are often totally reliant on FBs.

Please join us for our next @i-sphere.bsky.social webinar at 11am on March 26th when the brilliant @lynnemcmordie.bsky.social will be speaking about 'Violence against women and homelessness'. All welcome, please share, sign up here: i-sphere.site.hw.ac.uk/event/i-sphe...

Women in Northern Ireland are being forced out of their own homes by abusers due to financial control, weak legal orders & intimidation. New research by @lynnemcmordie.bsky.social shows they often end up homeless & still at risk. It’s time for real reform. researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/publicati...

Why is “safe” housing anything but safe? New research shows survivors find homeless B&Bs & hostels can mirror the abuse they left behind. We need trauma-informed housing & enforced legal protections so women can truly escape violence. researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/publicati...

We had a brilliant conference on Structural Injustice at the University of Cambridge, co-organised with Jude Browne, @maevemckeown.bsky.social & @jowolff.bsky.social celebrating our 5 books. Thanks to all who participated. Here on a panel with Ryoa Chung, Nicola Lacey & @bethwcobbe.bsky.social.

It was a real pleasure to participate in the Structural Injustice conference in Cambridge on Friday. The day was oriented around 5 brilliant books examining Iris Marion Young’s writing on the topic, including in her book Responsibility for Justice. I provided a critique of Young’s ideas arguing:

My father. 77 yesterday. Talented photographer. Loyal husband. Irredeemable finder of joy & positivity in literally any situation, including finding out in his mid 60s he had a 25 year old daughter he didn’t know about (me!). The events of this week took me back to our 1st ever contact (pictured)…

Great to catch up with @benmacpherson.bsky.social to share findings from the first-year evaluation of #UpstreamScotland, our school-based prevention programme. Conducted by ISPHERE (H-WU), it shows 3/4 of those at risk of homelessness are flying under the radar. ✍️ rocktrust.org/news-upstrea...

If there was one hope for the new UKG on immigration in this horrendous Reform-inflected context, it was that they balanced being 'tough on the border' with being more humane to those who already here, including via NRPF policy reform. It was gutting yesterday to see a different direction taken...

I enjoyed speaking at All Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness earlier today. I focused on exploring the lessons England can learn from Scotland's use of Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs) to reduce reliance on temporary accommodation. The answer is lots!...

WEBINAR: Trauma during homelessness & its impact on mental health: findings from an international systematic review & qualitative study in NE England. Please join us for our next seminar with @emmaaudreyadams.bsky.social on Feb 19th, at 11am: i-sphere.site.hw.ac.uk/event/i-sphe...

If you're in Edinburgh tomorrow, we have our 2nd social policy seminar of the semester. This one focussed on 'No Recourse to Public Funds' with Dr Lucy Lowe and Prof Beth Watts-Cobbe. 1-3pm, VLR, CMB. No booking required. www.sps.ed.ac.uk/news-events/...

Amanda Knox has suffered another &final unjust verdict for slander in the Italian courts. I'm going to take this opportunity to recommend her& @wisecracker.bsky.social's utterly brilliant podcast Labyrinths-varied &fascinating content on wrongful convictions, false confessions &so much more. Enjoy.

I have the Squid Games sound track in my head. Eery, unsettled, but not entirely inappropriate given recent and ongoing events. When are things going to get good / not terrifying again?

May be of interest @cpaguk.bsky.social @urbaneprofessor.bsky.social @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social @birminghamschool.bsky.social @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social @citizensadvice.bsky.social @haylesben.bsky.social @sspatleeds.bsky.social @rodhick.bsky.social @benbgeiger.bsky.social @katesummers.bsky.social

Indentured: benefit deductions, debt recovery &and welfare disciplining - Daniel Edmiston's webinar topic next week (23rd, 11am) as part of @i-sphere.bsky.social /Centre for Homelessness & Inclusion health series. Please share & join us. All welcome! i-sphere.site.hw.ac.uk/event/i-sphe...

As well as being brilliant documentary making, The Mendendez documentary is another reminder that Saturday Night Live is totally morally bankrupt TV comedy, was then and is now.

Jan 23rd, 11am, Daniel Edmiston "Indentured: benefit deductions, debt recovery and welfare disciplining" AND Feb 19th, 11am, @emmaaudreyadams.bsky.social "Trauma during homelessness & its impact on mental health: findings from an international systematic review & qualitative study in NE England"…

Our joint @i-sphere.bsky.social / Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health seminar series for 2025 is shaping up very nicely. Please join us to hear from the following speakers…

… But the Government could choose to go further: 130k children would be lifted out of poverty if LHA were pegged to the 50th percentile of rents, just as it was from 2008 until 2011.

If LHA rates were uprated in line with the 30th percentile of local rents from 2025-26, instead of being frozen, we estimate that around 75k children would be lifted out of poverty by 2029-30 ...

New @resfoundation.bsky.social research out today finds that more than 1 million children are pushed into poverty by high housing costs. Tackling this should be a central element of the Government’s upcoming Child Poverty Strategy. Thread/

Our joint @i-sphere.bsky.social / Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health seminar series for 2025 is shaping up very nicely. Please join us to hear from the following speakers…