From Alison Wallace, University of York

Since 1997 there has been a growing emphasis on tackling financial exclusion and increasing access as part of the social exclusion and asset-based welfare agenda. There are many initiatives being taken by government, voluntary organisations and the financial services industry but it is disparate and as many projects are at the pilot stage there are few evaluations.

Homeless people are extreme expressions of social and financial exclusion and there are some initiatives addressing their specific needs, but again learning points from these experiences are limited and only a few have made it into the readily accessable literature.

I would therefore welcome the opportunity to ask your readers if they are aware of any projects that are accessible to, or directly provided for, homeless or formerly homeless households, and whether they would kindly provide me with any reports or anecdotal information regarding the successes or problems of such provision. Any assistance would be warmly appreciated.

Alison Wallace
Centre for Housing Policy
University of York
Heslington
York
UK
YO10 5DD

+44 (0) 1904 321487