Built for Zero is ending homelessness in communities around the world, in:
Built for Zero uses information from local communities to build solutions that work for them. A “community” might include:
Crisis is now bringing Built for Zero to communities in the UK.
1. Homelessness is solvable
Homelessness isn’t inevitable. We can end homelessness. It’s a product of broken systems. We have created it but we can also fix it.
2. You can’t solve a problem that you can’t see
To find a solution, you need to understand a problem. Built for Zero uses up-to date data that gives an accurate picture of homelessness in an area.
Because the data is continuously updated (at least once a week), it gives communities a clear understanding of:
This information means communities trying to end homelessness can:
3. Homelessness is a systems issue
The causes of homelessness are complex. Built for Zero has proven that broken systems and policies lead to homelessness, not individual choices.
There’s no one solution that works for everyone, everywhere. But with the right information we can build systems that end homelessness.
Built for Zero is community based, but also based on the needs of that community. That means it looks different in each community.
The community takes responsibility for each person in their area experiencing homelessness. The information Built for Zero collects helps the community to respond quickly to the needs of their homeless population.
Built for Zero is reliant on regular, timely data collected from the community. It also creates a collective responsibility for addressing an individual’s needs.
The information communities gather is shared between the organisations in what’s called a “by-name” list. This means records are related to an individual person, and give a fuller picture of their situation and needs in real-time.
Communities review people and their specific needs. They also use “by-name” information to find common patterns that appear in the community. This helps to show where there are bigger changes that need to happen.
Sam is experiencing homelessness. Sam has a dog who is a valuable companion and helps with their mental health. The homelessness accommodation in the community doesn’t have facilities for a dog.
Sam registers as homeless with their local services who offer emergency accommodation. Sam is given a list of other services in the area that might be able to help. Sam needs to contact those services themself, which is hard because Sam doesn’t have reliable access to the internet.
Sam is offered emergency accommodation which won’t accept their dog. Sam isn’t sure how to challenge this, and how to find accommodation that meets their needs.
From the moment they are identified as homeless, multiple community services are involved. These services work together to try and find a solution for Sam.
The services in the community realise there is a gap in what they provide and what Sam needs. They work together to quickly fix this. Sam is provided with accommodation that means they can stay with their pet, and receive the services they need.
Using real-time information, Built for Zero communities provide actual solutions for people experiencing homelessness. These aim to end homelessness for everyone in the area.
Communities working in this way agree to try new things quickly and responsively, and then use the data to see if they have worked for the area.
Built for Zero is not a ready-made solution that works in the same way in every area. It’s a way of thinking and working to immediately build responsive solutions to house people who become homeless.
Built for Zero communities are working around the world. You can find out more on the Community Solutions Built for Zero webpage.
There are also several communities in England and Wales working in this way. These include:
You can find out more about this work by following us on LinkedIn.
If you are working to end homelessness and want to know more, please get in touch with the Crisis Built for Zero team by email: built.forzero@crisis.org.uk