Progress out of homelessness is rarely straightforward.

For many people, securing accommodation is only the beginning. Rebuilding confidence, improving wellbeing and creating long-term stability often involves setbacks, unexpected challenges and periods where additional support is needed.

The challenge for housing providers and support organisations is ensuring those setbacks don't force people back to the beginning.

This was one of the key themes explored in Episode 19 of the People in Housing Podcast, where we were joined by Mark Turner, Chief Commercial Officer at The Housing Network.

The conversation followed The Housing Network's success at the 2026 People in Housing Awards, where its Active Opportunities Pathway (AOP) was recognised in the Best Public and Private Sector Partnership category. Delivered in collaboration with local authority partners, the pathway supports people experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantage through a flexible, trauma-informed model that helps residents move towards independence while maintaining access to the support they need without judgement.

While the award celebrated the success of AOP, our conversation with Mark explored a broader question facing homelessness services across the UK: how can organisations create systems that help people continue moving forward, even when life doesn't go to plan?

Throughout the episode, Mark shared his thoughts on building trust with residents, lived experience and the importance of building services around people rather than processes, explaining why progress should never be lost because of a temporary setback.

Progress rarely follows a straight line.

Throughout the conversation, Mark returned to one simple idea.

People shouldn't have to start again every time they experience a setback.

For individuals who have experienced homelessness, rough sleeping or multiple disadvantages, life can be unpredictable. Progress can be interrupted by poor mental health, substance misuse, financial pressures or unexpected life events.

Too often, those setbacks result in people losing the support they have worked hard to access. "The rug gets pulled out and they're back at the start of the journey," Mark explained.

For housing providers, that creates a challenge. How do you build services that recognise setbacks without treating them as failure?

The answer, according to Mark, lies in creating pathways that allow people to move forwards and backwards when necessary without losing the relationships and support structures around them.

Building services around people, not systems.

One of the key themes emerging from the discussion was flexibility.

Traditional housing and homelessness services can sometimes be built around processes and thresholds. Residents meet certain criteria, access support and move through predefined stages, however the reality is often far more complicated.

People's needs change, circumstances evolve and the level of support someone requires today may look very different six months from now. Mark described how The Housing Network's Active Opportunities Pathway was designed to reflect those realities.

Rather than viewing support as a series of fixed stages, the model allows residents to move between different levels of accommodation and support depending on their circumstances.

When things are going well, residents continue moving towards greater independence. When challenges arise, support increases rather than disappears.

That distinction is important because it removes the fear that one setback will undo months of progress.

So, what is the Active Opportunities Pathway?

The Active Opportunities Pathway (AOP) is The Housing Network's structured approach to supporting people experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantage.

Delivered in partnership with local authorities and registered provider partners, the pathway combines safe accommodation with tailored, person-centred support designed to help residents progress towards independent living at a pace that works for them.

Rather than expecting people to follow a rigid route through support services, the pathway is built around a trauma-informed and strength-based model. Residents can move between different levels of accommodation and support depending on their circumstances, ensuring help remains available when challenges arise.

The pathway supports a wide range of people, including individuals and families experiencing homelessness, people recovering from substance misuse, care leavers, those with experience of the criminal justice system, people living with mental ill health and individuals fleeing domestic abuse.

Support focuses on far more than housing alone. Residents work towards goals across areas including tenancy management, health and wellbeing, employment and training, relationships, community participation and future aspirations.

The pathway itself is structured around three stages:

• Safe & Sound focuses on stability, safety and immediate support needs.
• Seen & Heard helps residents build confidence, develop life skills and strengthen connections with services and their community.
• Live & Grow prepares individuals for greater independence through move-on planning, employment support and longer-term goal setting.

What makes the model distinctive is its flexibility and understanding of difficult circumstances without judgement. Residents can move forwards when they are ready, but they can also access increased support during periods of difficulty, helping to prevent temporary setbacks from becoming long-term crises.

Why trust takes time to build.

Trust is a word that appeared repeatedly throughout the conversation. For many people accessing homelessness services, previous experiences have left them cautious about promises of support.

They may have been helped before, they may have believed things were improving, but then circumstances changed and the support ended.

Over time, that can make people reluctant to engage, even when help is available.

Mark believes housing providers need to recognise the impact this can have. Demonstrating trust isn't about what organisations say. It's about what happens when things go wrong. Residents need to know that support won't disappear at the first sign of difficulty.

That doesn't mean accepting harmful behaviour. It means taking time to understand what sits behind it and working with people to find a way forward.

Listening to people who have lived it.

Another lesson from the conversation was the importance of lived experience. Housing professionals bring expertise, knowledge and good intentions. But Mark was clear that services are strongest when the people using them help shape them.

"It's easy for me to sit in an office and design a service," he said. "But having never lived in a service, I don't know what that's like."

That philosophy has become a key part of how services are developed. Residents are regularly asked what would make support more effective, what helps them stay motivated and what barriers still exist. Those conversations often reveal insights that cannot be found in performance reports or policy documents.

They also ensure services are built around real experiences rather than assumptions.

Looking beyond behaviour.

The discussion also challenged some of the assumptions that still exist around homelessness. Particularly when it comes to substance misuse and other behaviours that are often viewed through a lens of personal responsibility.

Mark encouraged housing professionals and wider society to look deeper. Many behaviours are responses to trauma, instability or circumstances that most people will never experience.

That doesn't mean those behaviours are acceptable or without consequence. It means understanding that there is usually a reason behind them.

For support services, that shift in thinking can be transformative. Instead of asking, "What's wrong with this person?" the more useful question becomes, "What's happened to this person?"

It's a subtle difference, but one that can fundamentally change the way support is delivered.

Creating opportunities, not just accommodation

Housing is the foundation of stability, but the conversation highlighted how important it is to think beyond the front door. Mark spoke passionately about initiatives that help residents build confidence, develop new interests and reconnect with a sense of purpose.

From community art projects to fitness programmes, these opportunities provide something that accommodation alone cannot, they help people rediscover belief in themselves.

As Mark explained, lasting change rarely happens because somebody is told to change. It happens when people find their own motivation to move forward. Creating the conditions for that motivation to grow is often where the most meaningful work takes place.

A different conversation about homelessness.

The housing sector faces significant challenges.

Demand continues to rise. Temporary accommodation costs remain high. Resources are stretched. Against that backdrop, it can be tempting to focus solely on immediate pressures and short-term solutions, but hat stood out from this conversation was the importance of taking a longer view.

Whether supporting rough sleepers, families facing homelessness or young people leaving care, the goal should not simply be to provide accommodation for today.

It should be to create pathways that help people build stability for the future. That requires patience, trust and a willingness to accept that progress isn't always linear. Most importantly, it requires services that don't force people back to the beginning every time life gets in the way.

What makes the Active Opportunities Pathway so interesting is that it recognises a simple truth: people are not linear.

Homelessness is often shaped by a complex mix of trauma, addiction, mental health challenges, relationships and life circumstances, meaning progress rarely follows a straight path. Rather than expecting people to fit a rigid system, the AOP adapts support around the realities of human experience, allowing individuals to move forward at a pace that reflects their needs.

FAQ'S:

Why isn't progress out of homelessness linear?
People recovering from homelessness often face challenges such as poor mental health, financial difficulties or substance misuse. Effective support services recognise these setbacks and provide additional help rather than forcing people to start again.

What is the Active Opportunities Pathway?
The Active Opportunities Pathway (AOP) is The Housing Network's trauma-informed support model that combines accommodation with flexible, person-centred support, allowing residents to move between different levels of assistance as their needs change.

Why is trauma-informed support important in homelessness services?
Trauma-informed support recognises the impact of past experiences on behaviour and focuses on building trust, reducing barriers to engagement and helping people achieve sustainable independence.

How can housing providers prevent people returning to homelessness?
Housing providers can improve long-term outcomes by offering flexible support, listening to lived experience, maintaining trusted relationships and ensuring temporary setbacks do not result in people losing accommodation or support.

If you'd like to learn more about The Housing Network's Active Opportunities Pathway (AOP) and the organisation's work supporting people experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantage, visit The Housing Network's website.

To hear the full conversation with Mark Turner, you can watch this episode of the People in Housing Podcast on YouTube or listen on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.

Useful links:

• Learn more about The Housing Network and the Active Opportunities Pathway here
• Watch the full podcast on YouTube here
• Listen on Spotify here