How to help rough sleepers from homelessness to belonging

When the days are short, temperatures are plummeting and Christmas is on the horizon, it is hard to ignore the people sleeping rough on our streets – and their numbers continue to grow, despite efforts by successive governments and a multitude of charities and community groups

The reasons for the growing homelessness crisis are many and far- reaching, ranging from the obvious shortage of affordable housing, high rents and the cost-of-living crisis, to the often misunderstood immigration laws, a pandemic of mental-health issues and a lack of house- building in the last decade. The latest Chain (Combined Homelessness and Information Network) data for London confirmed there was a record high of 13,231 people sleeping rough in the capital in 2024/25, with 4,711 people sleeping rough between July and September 2025. Anecdotal evidence from those of us working in the sector already suggests that this number will rise further this winter as the government has terminated early its 56-day move-on trial for newly granted refugees. This means that asylum seekers being housed in government accommodation are now only given 28 days to find new housing and work when they are granted refugee status, before they are evicted.

The homelessness sector has come up with a number of innovative solutions to address the issue of rough sleeping (whether by UK nationals or migrants), and while the last resort for many individuals facing homelessness is usually a bed in a night shelter, this is an emergency response rather than a long-term solution. Community-based solutions to homelessness are increasingly viewed as successful and value-for-money options, with initiatives such as community homeless- ness prevention programmes, hosting programmes (such as Homes for Ukraine) and Housing Justice’s Refugee Lodgings Project garnering support from the sector and from statutory providers, and featuring in The Mayor of London’s Rough Sleeping Plan of Action 2025.

Refugee Lodgings is a safe and supported housing option for newly granted refugees at risk of homelessness, whereby individuals in need of housing are matched with people who have a spare room and want to offer both a solution to migrant homelessness and a stepping stone into stable, independent living. Each six-month lodgings placement offers a vital safety net for those leaving Home Office accommodation, helping them avoid rough sleeping while they prepare to move into the private rental market. Resident landlords can earn rental income (up to £7,500 a year tax- free), making it a sustainable and practical model for community-driven responses to homelessness.

Projects like this offer a longer-term solution to night shelter beds, and usually come with a package of wraparound support to help people find more permanent homes at the end of the placement.

Feedback from resident landlords/hosts and lodgers/guests is hugely positive, with each benefiting from these arrangements. While benefits to the lodgers/guests are obvious (a safe and stable home for an agreed period of time plus support to find move-on options), landlords and hosts enjoy the cultural exchange, companionship and mutual learning that these placements offer, and often end up forming deep and lasting friendships that outlast the placement. And, of course, resident landlords also enjoy receiving an additional income from rental payments.

Last winter, 18-year-old Sam was brought into one of the shelters in Housing Justice’s network by a member of the public who had found him cold, wet and shivering under Kingston Bridge where he had been rough sleeping. He had been staying with a friend and attending Kingston College, studying for A levels in maths, physics and computer science, when his friend unexpectedly asked him to leave. He had nowhere to go.

Sam was reluctant to go with the stranger but eventually agreed, and arrived at the shelter frightened and in tears. The team explained that they could offer him a warm, dry bed and hot food, and he started to relax a little. He slowly settled into life at the shelter and began to open up about his life. With no family to care for him, he got up each day at around 4 a.m. to study before school, and then returned at the end of the day to eat, chat with the other guests and go to bed early. On Sundays he attended a local church.

When the shelter closed at the end of the winter, the team was able to find him a room in a shared house close to his school, and he is now a completely different young man to the one who first arrived at the shelter. Smiling from ear to ear, standing tall, confident, and happy, he is enjoying his life, his room and the company of friends.

Sadly, every year there are thousands of people forced into rough sleeping through no fault of their own in the UK, and while the government has committed to sustaining record investment by allocating £39 billion for social housing in England between 2026 and 2036, the time it will take for new affordable homes to come to fruition means that levels of homelessness and rough sleeping are likely to remain high/continue to rise for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, any support you can give to homelessness charities in your area by volunteering, taking part in fundraising events, or making a donation, will make a big difference to those facing homelessness this winter.

Housing Justice was created in 2003 when Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS) and Churches’ National Housing Coalition (CNHC) merged. In January 2006, Housing Justice expanded further when it merged with Church Action on Homelessness in London. Housing Justice works to bring together communities and find solutions to homelessness by building personal connections, a sense of belonging, and creating justice in the housing system across England and Wales. You can make a donation to Housing Justice’s Christmas Appeal here: www.housingjustice.org.uk/christmas-appeal-2025

Bonnie Williams is the chief executive of Housing Justice.