A research-based project

When it comes to entrenched rough sleepers in the UK, a significant body of knowledge exists. We know the traits of this cohort in detail. The same can be said for the statutory homeless. Here there is primary legislation and case law delineating these households so they may benefit from the statutory safety net as the law requires. Who, then, is the person who will sleep rough for the first time tonight? Do we know? Could we describe them if we were asked?

The Pre-Rough Sleeper is an entirely new service user category. These individuals are in the phase of their housing crisis which precedes rough sleeping. By definition, the Pre-Rough Sleeper is someone with a ‘here and now’ profile containing the propensity – the traits and risk triggers – that predispose them to sleep out tonight rather than someone else who seemingly shares a similar profile.

What is NFNO?

No First Night Out (NFNO) is an innovative new approach designed to prevent people from sleeping rough. Essentially it’s a project that works with those at imminent risk of rough sleeping, to ensure they avoid a night out on the streets. NFNO is a tri-borough project run by City of London, Hackney and Tower Hamlets. The lead authority is City of London Corporation.

Strong partnerships are central to the success of the project. NFNO has a robust partnership board, supported by a memorandum of understanding which contains a number of core commitments from partners about their in-kind contributions to the project. Strong relationships between agencies focussed on delivering outcomes for individuals are considered the key to NFNO’s success.

How NFNO works