Private rented sector
Are you looking for somewhere to live?
The Private Rented Sector (PRS) can provide a sustainable home for people in housing need and and there are organisations around the UK that assist people with access to the PRS.
Crisis and the Private Rented Sector
Since 1997 Crisis has been working with partners across the UK to enhance access to the private rented sector for single people. We set up Crisis SmartMove, a rent deposit and advice scheme model, which helped over 14,000 single homeless people into a new home over a 13 year period. We publish leading research into the costs and outcomes of PRS access for homeless households and, following the closure of the National Rent Deposit Forum in 2006, we operate a national advisory service for local authorities and the homeless sector on setting up and running PRS access schemes.
Since 2009 Crisis has been working in partnership with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to help implement the Rough Sleeping Strategy and prevent homelessness amongst single people. We worked closely with the DCLG small grant recipients to help them to set up good quality services as well as delivering training to over 150 different agencies and developing resources and tools.
Private Rented Sector Access Development Programme
Crisis has been awarded £10 million in funding by the DCLG to manage the Crisis PRS Access Development Programme over a three year period. This is a programme of investment in community based services to help single homeless people find and sustain good quality accommodation in the PRS. Over the three year programme, 8,000 people will be helped into new homes.
Research and campaigning
The PRS is a key policy area for Crisis and we are constantly campaigning and commissioning research to change and improve the lives of single homeless people.
Current research projects include SUSTAIN: well-being and sustainability in the PRS. Crisis and Shelter are working in partnership on this three year Big Lottery funded project. The aim of this research project is to look at long-term outcomes for vulnerable households which have recently entered the private rented sector.
