Why Housing Justice Believes in Community-Led Solutions
September 24, 2024
At Housing Justice, we believe that homelessness ends in communities. The path from homelessness to belonging is paved with collective efforts, driven by compassion, and sustained by the commitment of local people and services. Our projects demonstrate that sustainable solutions emerge when communities come together, sharing resources, knowledge, and kindness to uplift their most vulnerable members.
Our Faith in Affordable Housing project enables churches to fulfil a Christian purpose by transforming their surplus land into affordable housing, while our Night Shelters project enables faith groups to provide the best possible support in their winter night shelters.
In projects like Citadel and Hosting, we see how volunteer-led projects create authentic relationships that transcend the limits of statutory services. Volunteers offer not only their time but their empathy, which reinforces trust and belonging.
Our Refugee Lodgings project also enables people in the community to offer newly granted refugees at risk of homelessness a safe place to stay while earning rental income, showing that there are diverse ways to contribute to the housing crisis in a sustainable yet compassionate way.
Our projects do more than just provide shelter—we empower individuals to create a sense of belonging and purpose within their community to prevent homelessness.
While grassroots efforts are the backbone of our work, Housing Justice also recognises the crucial role of government support. We advocate for policies that reflect the reality on the ground: that homelessness cannot be addressed by emergency measures alone. Long-term, community-led solutions need investment and collaboration from the highest levels. We work to influence the government to fund homelessness projects and encourage them to view the people affected as active citizens who can and should be part of the solution.
Together, we can move from crisis-driven responses to community-driven prevention, creating a future where no one is left behind.
If you agree with these values, please sign our open letter to Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary Of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review in October and the development of the new Homelessness Strategy.
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Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP
Secretary Of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Marsham Street
Dear Secretary of State,
On Sunday 6th October, Churches across Britain will mark Homelessness Sunday. Many of those who stop to pause and pray, will be the same people who, a few short weeks later will form part of the army of volunteers who respond to homelessness in their communities in the coldest months, to save lives and to support people experiencing homelessness to live theirs to the full.
In England alone, non-commissioned, community-run night shelters provide more beds than London’s biggest hospital. It is the scandal of our age, in the sixth richest nation on earth that these beds will be full for the winter months.
We welcome your government’s commitment to get Britain back on track to ending homelessness. Community-based responses to homelessness will be integral to this, because as every person who has built a home for their family knows, we need a house to survive, but it is in communities in which we thrive.
Without working in a new way with community groups like the network of faith and community groups, night shelters, day centres and support groups, your government will not meet its commitment.
We ask you to work with us, because homelessness ends in communities.
As we approach the Comprehensive Spending Review and the development of the new Homelessness Strategy, we specifically ask that you;
• Work formally with night shelters, day centres and faith and community groups to develop the new, cross-departmental Homelessness Strategy.
• Replace the Night Shelter Transformation Fund with an Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, to support and expand the vital work of these groups and empower communities to end homelessness in their areas.
• Mandate local authorities to work with these groups on the ground to develop their own strategies.
Yours sincerely,
