Revolving Door Project

Improving access to housing and reducing health harms in unhoused people who use drugs.

Everyone has a right to housing.

However, for a subset of people who use drugs, this right is compromised by policies and practices that exclude them from housing and homelessness support and exacerbate risk of drug-related harms.

Release has received funding from the Oak Foundation to deliver a four-year project aimed at mapping and addressing the revolving door of homelessness experienced by a subset of people who use drugs.

Research into harmful housing policies and practices

The first phase of this project (2025 – 2026) is aimed at identifying policies and practices that impact on levels of harm among unhoused people who use drugs across the homelessness pathway. A team of peer researchers, led by Release’s research lead, are speaking to impacted individuals, staff in relevant services, and other stakeholders in three UK cities about factors that limit or improve access to housing and homelessness support, as well as factors that increase or reduce drug-related harms.

Promoting best practice and driving policy change

The second phase of the project (2027-2028) is about addressing the challenges identified in the research phase. In addition to a research report, we will produce toolkits aimed at supporting local authorities and homelessness providers by promoting alternatives to harmful policies and practices. We will also use our findings to put pressure on local and national governments to create homelessness, rough sleeping and substance use strategies that support rather than punish people who use drugs.