Louise Casey Awarded Damehood

IGH Advisory Board Chair Louise Casey has been awarded a Damehood in the Queen's birthday honors list in recognition of her "tireless work to help the homeless in Britain and abroad." Louise will be named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). A Damehood of this nature is the female equivalent of knighthood, awarded for having given a major contribution to any activity, usually at national level.

"We could not be happier to see Louise recognized in this way," says IGH Director Kat Johnson. "She has spent her career working as a force for good, and could not be more deserving of this honor."

Louise is Head of the UK Government’s Troubled Families programme based in the

Department of Communities & Local Government. Appointed by the Prime Minister,

David Cameron, she leads a programme to turn around the lives of 120,000 of the

country’s most troubled families. She took up post in November 2011.

Louise was formerly the first independent Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses,

acting to promote the interests of victims and witnesses in Whitehall, the Criminal

Justice System and beyond. Previously Louise was Director General in the Home

Office, heading up the Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Group. Prior to that, she

carried out an independent review from the Cabinet Office which took a detailed look

at the public’s view on crime and how to engage them in tackling it.

In 2005, Louise was appointed as the head of the cross-government Respect Task

Force which worked to tackle anti-social behaviour by getting to its causes through

programmes such as parenting and support for problematic families. Before that, she

was the Director of the Home Office’s Anti-Social Behaviour Unit.

“I was honoured to receive notification from Buckingham Palace that I

am to receive a Damehood in the Queen’s birthday honours list," Louise said. "I am delighted that the work that I, working in government and with Depaul and IGH, have undertaken to

help alleviate homelessness has been recognized. And yet, with the number of homeless people rising every year, this is no time to rest on our laurels. I determined to work with Depaul and the government to see a truly global response to preventing homelessness. We want to go beyond offering crisis response to stopping homelessness at its root. My aim is to end homelessness wherever it rears its head.”

Louise was appointed in 1999 as the UK Homelessness Czar and led the successful

strategy to reduce the number of people sleeping rough on the streets by 2002.

Between 1992 and 1999, Louise was Deputy Director of Homelessness Charity

Shelter and, prior to that, held a number of posts in the social welfare sector.

Louise was awarded the Companion of the Order of Bath (CB) in the Queen’s

birthday honors list, 2008.

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