Freedom2Work
Freedom2Work (2016-2021) was an award-winning project aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness and unemployment, developed in partnership between Commonweal Housing and Elmbridge-based charity Rentstart.
Why was the project needed?
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Whilst homeless, unemployed individuals may want to work, they are held back from doing so due to several barriers in their way. Unstable temporary housing and no permanent address, fluctuating benefits paid in arrears, as well as a lack of access to training and advice on how to re-enter the job market can all prevent someone finding work and subsequently accommodation.
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Freedom2Work (F2W) was designed to address the many, overlapping needs of those experiencing housing and employment insecurity, in order to close the ‘revolving door’ of chronic homelessness and worklessness for good.
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The Housing Solution
F2W combined supportive shared housing and wrap-around employment support for people who are homeless or precariously housed. The model placed emphasis on aspiration rather than intervention – providing service users with the confidence, independence, and empowerment they need to rebuild their lives.
Clients rented a room in a shared property for a 12-month tenancy, receiving intensive support for the first six months, including advice and training on household management, job-hunting, CV writing and budgeting.
The model operated a savings reward scheme that encouraged tenants to save a small amount from their welfare payments, building a growing credit on their rent account. With a target of £40 per month, once tenants secured employment, their savings were matched by project funds – so for every £1 saved, they received £2 back.​​​
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In partnership with:
Project outcomes
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Throughout the five-year pilot, 75 of the 96 service users moved into employment.
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Clients saved a total of £7,543 over the course of the project, before matched funding.
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The project generated £2m in savings, which would otherwise have been spent by public services.
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Commonweal and Rentstart won the Homelessness Partnership of the Year award at the 2021 UK Housing Awards for F2W.
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Key learnings
Freedom2Work (F2W) ran for an initial five-year pilot between 2016 -2021, with the first three years evaluated by DeMontfort University. As identified in the independent evaluation, the project offered significant benefits for individual clients and for wider society, highlighting potential future savings that resulted from the intervention. These benefits include:
Breaking the cycle:
Providing proactive support for clients helped prevent the "revolving door" use of services by enhancing resilience and embedding behaviour change to break the cycle of homelessness. A key element to this was the match-funding component of the project, which doubled clients' savings to help them enter the private rented market at the end of the project.
Social benefit:
The evaluation estimates that the project generated £2 million in savings that would otherwise have been spent by public services. If implemented on a national scale, the F2W model could theoretically support three-quarters (53,000) of individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness in gaining employment, resulting in savings of over £600 million to the public purse.
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Strengthening Partnerships:
Increased communication among stakeholders helped encourage more private rented sector (PRS) landlords to sign up for F2W; as such, the positive reputation of both clients and providers may encourage landlords to sign up for similar schemes. For local authorities, the benefits of the scheme running in the area were significant, especially in places with long waiting lists and rising homelessness, where the demand for social housing greatly exceeds supply. This success depends on a close working relationship between the project team and the council.
Arthur's story
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Due to a relationship breakdown and subsequent job loss, Arthur* ended up living on the streets. He was referred to Elmbridge Rentstart, who were able to find a bed for him in a local night shelter for the street homeless. However, the night shelter was a difficult and unstable environment for Arthur, who felt very intimidated by some of the other residents and went back to sleeping rough again. Aware of his predicament, Elmbridge invited Arthur to join the Freedom2Work scheme. He subsequently moved into a self-contained bedsit where he was provided with bedding, basic kitchen utensils, and support to help him get back on his feet.
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Arthur loved the new flat and kept it extremely clean and tidy. After receiving advice and support on job-hunting, he was accepted onto a volunteer training scheme with the Queen Elizabeth Foundation shop, where he was trained in cashier duties, stock checking, and customer service.
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After working as a volunteer, Arthur successfully applied for the role of shop manager – a full-time paid position – in a sister branch of the shop. Having settled his working life and regained his independence and confidence, Arthur subsequently moved on to a property of his own choosing, nearer to the shop he works in.
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Arthur got into some financial difficulty after he sold his car but failed to change the name on the ownership documents, as the new owner (a family member) racked up fines which Arthur was legally responsible for. Luckily, the Freedom2Work credit he’d built up during his time on the scheme was later used to reduce this debt, incurred through little fault of his own, and he is managing the rest through an agreed repayment plan.
*Names have been changed
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“This an amazing scheme which allows user[s] to build themselves up at a pace not pressured. […] This turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made!! As it has been the catalyst to everything that’s positive in my life right now.”
Freedom2Work client
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