Lent Appeal 2026 – Housing Justice

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our work: community & belonging

Housing Justice is working towards building communities where everyone has a safe and stable home, and feels they belong. We believe everyone has the right to a home that meets their needs, and that the key to ending homelessness is working with communities to find local solutions.

In a world which feels increasingly divided and in which alarming news headlines dominate our daily lives, the importance of home, friends, family, and community has rarely been greater. Too many people do not have these community networks to fall back on. Faith-based congregations, lived experience advisory groups, and partnerships across the voluntary, community and public sectors help us find accommodation solutions and elevate the voices of those who too often go unheard.

We are delighted to have been gifted a £5,000 match fund so all of your donations up to £5,000 will be doubled! Please support us in alleviating homelessness in your community this Lent by making a donation to our Lent Appeal.

Thank you.

Meet Polly

A story showing the impact of our work

Polly is a young woman from Newport who was forced to leave her home to escape horrendous domestic abuse and stalking. Without friends or family she could stay with, she found herself homeless and was shunted between various different temporary accommodations. After six months of trying to find a more permanent home, her already heightened anxiety was increasing, and she was struggling to manage until she was put in touch with Housing Justice’s Homelife Partnership at The Hive in Newport.

We were able to liaise with her Housing Officer to help her find a home, support her to learn how to better manage her finances and access the mental health support she needed, and to find training opportunities to improve her skills so she could find paid work.

Polly is now happily settled in her new home, volunteering as a lived experience speaker, and feels that the future is bright for the first time in a long time. We will continue to support her for as long as she needs us.

Please help us to bring hope to more people like Polly this Easter.

A message from Bishop Rob

Dear Friends,

What are you going to give up for Lent? Chocolate? Watching too much telly? Let’s be honest, it’s Lent and these questions are often asked.

For many, Lent begins with the re-telling of the story of Jesus fasting for 40 days and being tempted to become inward looking, self-centred and self-promoting (Matthew 4. 10-11). The fact that Jesus did not succumb shows us that an outward focus matters, because our neighbours’ matter, those experiencing homelessness matter, and an outward focus can help us all to flourish because you and I matter too. Lent begins with this story, and ends with the Crucifixion where Jesus’ complete selflessness is revealed in unconditional love.

Love underpins all our work at Housing Justice. Together, you and I can make a difference: through our volunteering locally, building community, financial giving and in prayer. Selfless communities become communities of hope.

At Housing Justice, we support community-based initiatives to end homelessness. This takes the form of night shelters, prevention work, social eating projects, wraparound access to medical, debt and legal support, and employment opportunities. Alarmingly, recent research by the FT shows that one in every 200 households in the UK is experiencing homelessness, meaning we have the highest rate of homelessness in the developed world, and a record 132,410 households in England and more than 10,876 people in Wales are living in temporary accommodation.

But there is this hope. Community-based projects like ours work, and without them rough sleeping figures across England would be almost 25% higher.

May your Lent be outward facing in creating a world as God intends it to be, one of love, hope and justice. This is so much more than giving up chocolate or watching the telly! Join us, please give generously and be part of God’s revelation of love.

Thank you.

With love and prayers,

+Rob

The Right Reverend Bishop Rob Wickham, Chair of Housing Justice