Discussions with stakeholders will often reveal apparent gaps in the supply of housing and related support for drug users. In order to know what changes need to be made to address those gaps in supply, it is necessary to gain a more sophisticated understanding of the reasons behind those shortages and what type of provision is required. This involves considering whether the need is actually for increased access to and/or a remodelling of existing services, rather than investment in new services or interventions. For instance, the knowledge that drug users have insufficient access to supported housing does not necessarily mean that more supported housing is required. Instead it may mean that a supply of move-on housing is needed for existing supported housing in order to free up places for new residents.
Before considering whether to provide new housing and housing related support specifically for drug users, it is important to map out all of the current sources of such services. Ideally this should cover both current and potential sources. This will enable you to make the best use of current resources, before deciding what new investment to make. It will provide you with a picture of what a whole ‘network’ of services might look like, within which any new services would sit.
This section of the Toolkit gives you an overview of the types of housing and support services which may be available presently to drug users and how to get information about them. To navigate through it click on the links on the right hand side of the page.