Clean Slate offers a homelessness prevention service designed to stabilise income before housing crisis hits.
Homelessness rarely begins with an eviction notice. By the time formal housing processes are triggered, people are already firefighting. Our upstream model is about taking referrals of people in groups known to be at heightened risk. This includes people engaged with family support, mental health, or drug and alcohol services. Individuals leaving care, prison or the armed forces, are also on our radar.
Importantly, referral partners like local authorities, housing providers and community partners don’t wait for individuals to disclose financial hardship. Instead, they offer a free money health-check to help people get ahead – no judgement. Such is the stigma around money crises, by the time people are ready to ask for help, they are rarely still ‘upstream’.
Homelessness rarely begins with an eviction notice. By the time formal housing processes are triggered, people are already firefighting. Our upstream model is about taking referrals of people in groups known to be at heightened risk. This includes people engaged with family support, mental health, or drug and alcohol services. Individuals leaving care, prison or the armed forces, are also on our radar.
Importantly, referral partners like local authorities, housing providers and community partners don’t wait for individuals to disclose financial hardship. Instead, they offer a free money health-check to help people get ahead – no judgement. Such is the stigma around money crises, by the time people are ready to ask for help, they are rarely still ‘upstream’.
A Money-First Prevention Model
By taking a ‘money-first’ approach, we identify the ‘amber flags’. These are related to the root causes that most often push people toward homelessness: financial hardship and, inevitably tied to this, overwhelm and fear.
When housing costs exceed a reasonable proportion someone’s income, when debt builds quietly in the background, or when mental health challenges reduce someone’s capacity to cope, risk escalates quickly. Through our usual money coaching process, we break the challenges down into manageable parts and take people through a process at their own pace. By restoring financial balance and building resilience early, we tackle arrears, reduce crisis and support long-term sustainable housing.
When housing costs exceed a reasonable proportion someone’s income, when debt builds quietly in the background, or when mental health challenges reduce someone’s capacity to cope, risk escalates quickly. Through our usual money coaching process, we break the challenges down into manageable parts and take people through a process at their own pace. By restoring financial balance and building resilience early, we tackle arrears, reduce crisis and support long-term sustainable housing.
Engagement and Resilience
Preventing homelessness is not simply about sustaining a tenancy or home-ownership. It is about strengthening the financial and emotional resilience that keeps people stable long-term.
We measure improvements in housing affordability, budget surplus, debt management, employability, digital inclusion and personal agency. As income stabilises and anxiety reduces, people engage more effectively with housing officers, mental health services and specialist advice. The practical gains achieved, such as unclaimed benefits secured, suppliers switched, employment accessed, spending habits changed, represent an immediate boost to the local economy and a continuing return on investment.
Resilience is not built in a day. When someone is at risk of homelessness, they need immediate stability before they can think about longer-term change. Debt advice and employment are viable considerations at this point. We intervene before crisis becomes catastrophe. From firm foundations, people can think more clearly and regain the confidence to protect their housing.
We measure improvements in housing affordability, budget surplus, debt management, employability, digital inclusion and personal agency. As income stabilises and anxiety reduces, people engage more effectively with housing officers, mental health services and specialist advice. The practical gains achieved, such as unclaimed benefits secured, suppliers switched, employment accessed, spending habits changed, represent an immediate boost to the local economy and a continuing return on investment.
Resilience is not built in a day. When someone is at risk of homelessness, they need immediate stability before they can think about longer-term change. Debt advice and employment are viable considerations at this point. We intervene before crisis becomes catastrophe. From firm foundations, people can think more clearly and regain the confidence to protect their housing.
