The Street Level Bureaucrat in English Public Sector homelessness services

What is it about?

This article adopts an implementation focus, specifically Michael Lipsky's street level bureaucrat conceptual framework, to examine how housing policy is interpreted and applied at the frontline of English homeless services. It is specifically interested in the ways in which discretion may be applied to contravene specific policy directives, and the higher level objectives and/or pressures which may contribute toward this.

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Why is it important?

The findings shows how resource pressures may adversely impact upon service delivery in homelessness services, thus linking the current politically austere climate to an increase in the application of negative discretion, which may ultimately result in preventable homelessness. It is further the first to apply Lipsky's street level bureaucrat framework at the outset to English statutory homelessness services.