One year ago, CHI launched to act as a catalyst for evidence-led change in homelessness. Throughout our setting up phase we’ve tried to manage the Centre differently, to enable an atmosphere of creativity, rigour and entrepreneurship. This helped us provide groundbreaking free Evidence Tools for those working in and around homelessness that put evidence at their fingertips, which over time will form a vital infrastructure to end homelessness effectively.

Now the time has come for the organisation to consider its medium to long term future. Today we release our first-ever strategy, looking ahead at how we will drive change in the next 5 years. Our aim is to act as a platform for a broad community of practice looking to achieve lasting change. The strategy sets out what we will do, and how we will work with others, to make a decisive move towards ending homelessness for good.

You can read the full strategy here:

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Our ultimate end goal is to to create a society in which any experience of homelessness, where it cannot be prevented, is rare, brief and non-recurring. We know that this is an ambitious goal and that lasting change will require collective efforts across a complex system and addressing root causes, not just symptoms.

We will create change in three ways:

1. Make evidence accessible and fill the gaps - We will generate and synthesise evidence and address gaps in the evidence base indirectly as well as directly. They will continue to develop their flagship tools and create new ones that put reliable evidence at people’s fingertips and improve their understanding of what works  and what doesn’t when it comes to ending homelessness.
2. Support data and evidence to be applied in practice - We will instil an appreciation of data and evidence and skills for its use among policymakers and practitioners. Providing resources and services that teach analytical frameworks and practical skills to evaluate and use data and evidence for decision-making.
3. Mobilise a learning culture - We will build a movement that believes that we serve all citizens better when we value evidence and know how to use it, working with professionals and communities to drive lasting change and grow a learning, creative culture.
   
   

The strategy features snapshots of the types of projects we will be doing, some of which are already underway. The examples represent just a small slice of what we’ll be doing to achieve lasting change. We’re just getting started.

As a member of the What Works Network we know that to drive lasting change it is vital to work across the evidence ecosystem, producing, synthesising, implementing and mobilising evidence. Building on what we have learned in our first year, we will push the envelope in all of these areas in our ultimate goal of making the use of data and evidence a ubiquitous tool for tackling homelessness.

We’re looking toward the future with enthusiasm. The evidence is clear: better use of data and knowledge accelerates impact. In the next 5 years, CHI will continue to optimise new and existing programmes by partnering with organisations and individuals, and move beyond developing a proof of concept to focusing even more on creating a society that leaves no one behind.

Read the full report here