Lifelong Links reduces homelessness for care leavers by 10%

[Jsewell_FRG]

A new evaluation of Lifelong Links has found that it significantly reduces homelessness amongst care leavers. The study by the Policy Institute at King’s College London for the Centre for Homelessness Impact has found that that the Lifelong Links approach, which helps build family support networks for care leavers, reduces the risk of homelessness by 10%.

Researchers analysed a dataset that combines the number of people in a local authority assessed as at risk of homelessness in a given year and young people aged under 21 who left care in each area. The aged cut-off was chosen as Lifelong Links had only operated for three years in the areas from which samples were taken.

Across multiple analyses, researchers found a 10% reduction in the risk of a young care leaver being assessed as at risk of homelessness in their most robust model. The study is one of five impact evaluations of interventions that seek to reduce homelessness among young people leaving care carried out by King’s Policy Institute and the Centre for Homelessness Impact, which were funded by the UK Cabinet Office’s Evaluation Accelerator Fund.

The study’s final report can be found here: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/59f07e ... ks.v.2.pdf