It has been a busy few months for the I-SPHERE, Heriot Watt team. Here are just some of the highlights. Our latest research Destitution by design: Righting the wrongs of UK immigration policy If you live in Scotland, you may have heard in the news recently some of the shocking findings from I-SPHERE’s evaluation of […]
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Hostile immigration policies are “virtually guaranteeing” destitution and homelessness for thousands who are living long-term in Scotland, new research finds
Charities urge Scottish Government to take urgent steps to address “destitution by design” Thousands of people in Scotland, including long-standing members of communities, are being forced into extreme poverty and homelessness by hostile UK immigration policy, a new report has revealed. The research includes a survey of those accessing crisis support from Fair Way Scotland, […]
Welfare and homelessness: how UK welfare reforms fueled a homelessness crisis
Watch here the insightful seminar from I-SPHERE’s own Dr Beth Watts-Cobb and Professor Hal Pawson of the University of New South Wales that was organised by Homelessness Australia in partnership with the UNSW City Futures Research Centre.
Homelessness experiences of young Black Londoners starkly revealed
The harsh realities faced by young Black people experiencing homelessness in London are laid bare in our new hard-hitting new report. The research, which was possible thanks to the support of Oak Foundation, is the fourth published report from our Homelessness amongst Black and minoritised ethnic communities knowledge and capacity building programme and was led […]
New I-SPHERE report finds further evidence of racial inequalities in housing and homelessness
As featured in Inside Housing – Inside Housing – News our new Deep Dive report Taking a race and ethnicity lens to conceptualisations of homelessness in England, is the third published output of our Oak Foundation funded Homelessness and Black and Minoritised Ethnic Communities in the UK Knowledge and Capacity Building Programme. The report explores […]
The Reality for Women Affected by Severe and Multiple Disadvantage
Our hard-hitting report outlines five key priorities to radically improve support for women facing homelessness, substance use, and involvement with the criminal justice system in the UK. Hard Edges: The Reality for Women Affected by Severe and Multiple Disadvantage, funded by the Oak Foundation, exposes the trauma and exclusion endured by this vulnerable group. It […]
Destitution in the UK 2023
I-SPHEREs report for JRF published today, reveals a shameful increase in the level of destitution in the UK. The number of people experiencing destitution increased by 61% from 2019 to 2022, with an even larger increase in the number of children experiencing destitution. A combination of extremely low incomes, a threadbare social security system, the […]
Fair Way Scotland Evaluation Published
We found more than 1,200 people in Scotland received vital support in the first year of Fair Way Scotland – an ambitious programme to end destitution caused by UK immigration policy by Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Our research has been released against a backdrop of rising asylum seeker evictions and fears of the return of “lock-change” eviction […]
Welsh White Paper published on World Homeless Day
Over the past year, I-SPHERE’s Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, has chaired an expert panel organised by Crisis on behalf of Welsh Minister Julie James on how legislative change could help end homelessness in Wales. The panel’s work was informed by the views of more than 300 people with lived experience of homelessness and wide engagement with […]
Homelessness amongst Black and Minoritised Ethnic Communities: Research Internship
We are looking for our next research intern. Based anywhere in the UK, the post is for 9 months and will be paid at the London Living wage. It provides the post holder with a unique chance to undertake their own research project with support from the I-SPHERE team and an advisory group of experts […]