Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 9 January (HL Deb, col 113), which projects funded by the Fair Chance Fund have been successful in reducing family and relationship breakdown.

The £15 million Fair Chance Fund (FCF) was an innovative three year programme designed to improve accommodation, education and employment outcomes for homeless young people aged 18 - 24, who did not have priority need under the homelessness legislation but had a range of support needs which presented barriers to securing and sustaining, accommodation and getting on in life.

Many of the participants had multiple needs, often resulting in on-going problems and issues. This included a history of family and relationship breakdown, alongside other vulnerabilities. The causes of homelessness can be multiple and complex. Where family and/or relationship breakdown is present, it is often just one part of the wider picture. That is why the FCF key workers in all 7 areas worked intensely with the young people by offering tailored support to meet their needs.

Two interim evaluations of the FCF were published last year [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fair-chance-fund-evaluation-interim-reports], and the final evaluation will be published later this year. Findings are being used to inform future policy work on supporting young people experiencing homelessness and on the use of social investment.