New Senedd report: Homelessness support staff facing burnout
Staff who support vulnerable people to avoid homelessness are facing high levels of burnout, according to a new Senedd report
Last updated 15th May 2025
Staff who support vulnerable people to avoid homelessness are facing high levels of burnout and stress due to the overwhelming number of crisis situations they deal with, often without backup from services such as police and mental health support- according to a new Senedd report.
The report published by the Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee also says that many staff who support vulnerable people to avoid homelessness are themselves at risk of homelessness.
Stress at work:
The Committee calls this situation ‘unacceptable’ and says the housing support workforce, who enable vulnerable people to live independently, should not be treated any less favourably than those working in health and social care.
The Committee’s report also says that staff in the industry face large levels of stress and burnout as they must deal with complex situations such as offering advice on housing legislation, welfare, mental health and substance misuse.
John Griffiths MS, Chair of the Local Government and Housing Committee, said, “Staff working in this sector do an incredible job in extremely challenging circumstances. Supporting people who might have multiple, complex issues such as mental health problems or substance misuse is no easy task, but we heard that many staff are at breaking point.
“Stress and burnout are widespread with recruitment and retention problems adding to the mounting challenges facing the sector.
Funding failure:
The Committee says they welcome the Welsh Government’s commitment to more funding which they say will allow the Real Living Wage to be paid to housing support workers.
But many organisations in the sector told the Committee that this extra money would not cover the cost of paying their staff the Real Living Wage and that the impact of increased National Insurance contributions would have a significant effect on their budgets, even to a point where they might have to stop providing services.
The report calls on the Welsh Government to reconsider their view that their financial commitment is enough and instead they should commit to engaging more with housing support service providers and local authorities on this matter.
New homelessness law:
Next week, the Welsh Government is expected to publish a Homelessness Bill, which is likely to include a focus on preventing homelessness.
The Bill is likely to focus on removing barriers to support and aims to make it easier for homeless people to find stable, permanent homes.
Debbie Thomas, Head of Policy at Crisis Cymru, a homelessness charity, said,
“Experiencing homelessness is traumatic. Not having a stable place to call home can take a significant toll on people’s lives – including their physical and mental wellbeing – and it’s vital that people can access the support they need.
“This report emphasises that, as high numbers of people face homelessness across Wales, services are often in firefighting mode.
“If we are to move beyond this firefight, it is critical that the Welsh Government’s anticipated new homelessness legislation brings forward key changes.
"Through this, there is a huge opportunity to do more to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place, and ensure that services are equipped to work more effectively together where people are experiencing homelessness.”
The Welsh Government says:
“Frontline housing support services are facing immense pressures while delivering important work for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
"Despite unprecedented economic challenges, we have demonstrated our commitment to addressing these complex challenges by protecting and increasing funding for homelessness support and prevention this year to more than £240m.
“We have also boosted capital investment in social homes with an additional £81m, bringing our annual investment to a record £411m in Wales this year.
“We will also shortly introduce a new Bill which will transform the way we respond to those facing homelessness in Wales – making it a more accessible and person-centred approach.”