Fractures in Frontline Care – Why Continuity Matters

Homelessness is never just about housing. It is a health issue too – both caused by poor health and a cause of it. The latest Unhealthy State of Homelessness 2025 report makes this painfully clear. It shows how fractured frontline services leave people vulnerable, unsupported, and too often forgotten.

According to the report:

• Nearly a third (32%) of people were discharged from hospital straight onto the streets – the highest rate ever recorded.
• Only 37% were registered with a dentist, down from 53% in the previous wave.
• More than half (52%) relied on A&E at least once in the past year, four times higher than the general population.
• Half of those living with physical health conditions said they weren’t getting the help they needed. For mental health, 21% received no support at all, and nearly half turned to drugs or alcohol to cope.

These are not just statistics. They reveal the fractures in frontline care – people discharged unsafely, denied preventive treatment, and left to navigate systems alone. When continuity breaks down, inequality deepens and homelessness lasts longer.

At Homeless House CIC, we believe repairing the frontline is essential. That means trauma‑informed mentoring that bridges the gaps between prison, probation, and community. It means partnerships with healthcare providers so care doesn’t stop at the door. And it means advocacy for systemic change, so no one is ever discharged into homelessness again.

The data is clear: fractured frontline services perpetuate homelessness. Repairing them requires shared accountability – from government, funders, and community organisations alike. Together, we can build systems that don’t just patch holes, but prevent people from falling through them in the first place.