Beth Watts-Cobbe

A shelter-free response to homelessness is necessary for justice, & is possible, as demonstrated in Scotland from 2020-2024. Read @i-sphere.bsky.social's new paper in @ijohjournal.bsky.social here at the link above. Please share with others who may be interested! Thanks.

Dormitory-style night shelters tackling street homelessness are harmful. At best, they protect an already very disadvantaged group from some harms, while generating & deepening manifold others. Nor do they reliably lead to sustainable rehousing... ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/ij...

Really pleased to see this from SMF, showing the role that Housing First needs to play in finally, sustainably, turning the tide on rough sleeping in England. I hope those working on the *much anticipated* cross-government homelessness strategy are taking note.

Ugh.

Wall to wall dads (except me) at the toddler trampolining session this morning, and absolutely no mystery to me why. Jeez!

Labour’s social security reforms ignore devolution - British Politics and Policy at LSE The Goverment's social security reforms ignore the fact that they will have different consequences depending on which part of the UK one lives in.

Some heatwave weekend reading on why devolution needs to be talked about more in connection with the disability social security cuts.

@lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social blog w/ @safety-nets.bsky.social colleagues @haylesben.bsky.social @sionedps.bsky.social

blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

Home Office extends 56-day 'move-on' period for refugees

The trial 56-day 'move-on' period for newly-recognised refugees to find somewhere to live has been extended, the government has confirmed.

Black and minoritised people feel forced to disguise their identities Race, Ethnicity and Homelessness research by I-SPHERE at Heriot-Watt University finds Black homeless families feel forced to disguise their identities

Groundbreaking new research by @i-sphere.bsky.social finds Black families have to disguise their identities to avoid #discrimination in housing, employment & essential services

More here: tinyurl.com/2etwp8ny

#HeriotWattUni #Homelessness
@raceontheagenda.bsky.social @crisis-uk.bsky.social ‬

𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗞
An analysis of 750,000 household records from the statutory homelessness system reveals that only 10% of Black families gained social housing compared to 24% of White families. doi.org/10.17861/D78...
@raceontheagenda.bsky.social @crisis-uk.bsky.social

Sad news indeed

TitleHeriot-Watt University Graduations Summer 2025 (Friday 20th June, 1pm) YouTube video by Heriot-Watt University

She has always been a friend, ally and frequent collaborator with @i-sphere.bsky.social, but now she's formally one of us (no escape!). You can watch her powerful laureation speech c. 30 mins in here: www.youtube.com/live/3fOas1a...

Dr Maggie Brunjes, Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Professor Beth Watts-Cobbe, Janice Higgins and Jackie Erdman pictured to mark Maggie's honorary doctorate bestowed by Heriot-Watt University.

It was a real pleasure to be able to mark and celebrate Maggie Brunjes - the inimitable, legendary Chief Executive of Homeless Network Scotland - receiving an honorary doctorate from @heriotwattuni.bsky.social last week. Congratulations Maggie on all of your achievements.

Cat sitting, looking smart and serious

Loki is giving military leader vibes today.

Chart showing Proportion of Household Support Fund expenditure by type of support and HSF wave: England, 2022-23 to 2023-24.

Free School Meals support in the holidays is now the largest category of Household Support Fund expenditure.

This is arguably not an ideal use of what is supposed to be crisis support funding and would be better covered by an increased Free School Meals budget instead.

Love this - a really useful framing to help bolster the normative underpinnings of the social security system and employment support.

Destitution in the UK 2023 This study, the fourth in the Destitution in the UK series, reveals approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including around 1 million children. There is an urgent need for a...

Here you go: 1) www.jrf.org.uk/deep-poverty... and 2) researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/publicati...

Please join us on 20th May for our next @i-sphere.bsky.social /Centre for Homelessness & Inclusion Health webinar with @popmhuk.bsky.social's Natasha Chilman on The public health significance of prior homelessness: findings on multimorbidity & mental health from a nationally representative survey...

All welcome. Time: 11:00 am - 12:15 pm. Sign up here: i-sphere.site.hw.ac.uk/seminars/

Please join us on 20th May for our next @i-sphere.bsky.social /Centre for Homelessness & Inclusion Health webinar with @popmhuk.bsky.social's Natasha Chilman on The public health significance of prior homelessness: findings on multimorbidity & mental health from a nationally representative survey...

Oh ye gods, no! We just watched the gamer one with the chip in the neck and the scary house.

In a long held tradition of watching zeitgeist TV shows years after their release, the time has come to watch Black Mirror…

What the actual *^%>?!

My daughter, 3, to our friend: “can I come to your house and see your mess?”

Of course I’d rather Labour had won the by-election and losing by six votes is astonishing.

But I hope Starmer takes the message that Reform are better at being Reform than Labour, and Labour’s best bet is to go back to being Labour.

Another dark day in UK politics. Devastating.

Lovely to end the week with this dropping onto the doormat. A real pleasure to be part of this collection with @lynnemcmordie.bsky.social, and a tiny part of a wider and brilliant flurry of work on structural injustice and Iris Marion Young’s ideas. Thanks @vmantouvalou.bsky.social!

Housing and Welfare Outcomes in Norway, with HOUSINGWEL/Oslo Met's Kristin Aarland and Jardar Sørvoll. April 29, 11am-12:15pm. Please join us for our next @i-sphere.bsky.social /CHIH webinar. Sign up here: forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

When people say ‘your daughter is fabulous, happy, secure… so you must be doing a great job’. As if they’re highly sceptical and reserving judgement. Could be luck so far, DNA. Let’s wait and see.

I'm not allowed to share these kinds of scholarships though my university email anymore so am doing so here. Scholarships for members of the LGBTQ+ STEM community.

ostem.org/Page/scholar...

"Local welfare alone can’t solve child poverty, but if well-funded it helps" - read new blog from some of the Safety Nets team including @haylesben.bsky.social and @bethwcobbe.bsky.social 👇

blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

We're conducting ongoing research evaluating Fair Way Scotland, a partnership of organisations seeking to mitigate homelessness and destitution for this group. Homeless Network Scotland, Scottish Refugee Council, Refugee Sanctuary Scotland, Simon Community Scotland, Turning Point Scotland.