Hosting Case Studies
December 18, 2025
Clara
Clara came to the UK in 2008, as a asylum seeker and spent many years waiting for the Home Office to process her claim for asylum in the UK, as she was refused many times before her fear of persecution and torture from her home country where taken seriously.
In 2024 Clara got her Refugee status and became homeless after being evicted from her Home Office accommodation. She was referred to the Housing Justice Hosting project, and we matched her with one of our volunteer hosts in North London. From there, Clara was able to access long-term accommodation and is now living in her own shared accommodation in London.
During this time, Clara faced many difficulties, and although she was entitled to benefits, when she moved to her own accommodation, she started receiving £0 a month as all her money was going to her landlord for rent, as her rent was too high, and she had build up rent arrears due to delays with processing her benefit claim.
Thanks to the Destitution Fund, House Justice where able to provide Clara with a £150 a month payment for her essential living costs, such as food clothing and bus fair.
Your donation would provide a lifeline to people like Clara during difficulties such as destitution caused by immigration issues and benefit sanctions.
Clara is now able to concentrate on rebuilding her life. She has been matched with a Community Connector volunteer and is attending college studying English, Maths and Catering. She loves to sew in her spare time and cook for her church.
Lina
In 2023 when Lina was 19 years old, she came to the UK on a visa. Initially, everything went well for her but soon she was facing difficult circumstances that left her alone in a new country, homeless and with an insecure immigration status.
She spent nine months experiencing homelessness and moving from one place to another with Nightstop, a charity for young homeless people. She was trying to resolve her immigration status but did not know the correct route to choose, and could not return to her home country of Eritrea as she was fleeing persecution.
Lina was then referred to Housing Justice’s Hosting Project in London, and she moved in with one of our amazing hosts who specialises in supporting young people. With a stable home, she was able to seek immigration advice from Praxis and apply for asylum. With a lack of legal aid solicitors available, she went through the process without legal representation, which was difficult, but she was granted refugee status in October 2025.
Lina is now working on rebuilding her life. She is working in a salon part-time, attending college, and volunteering for a young person’s charity as she loves to help others.
Donate to our Destitution Fund
Donate to our destitution fund, which supports a payment of £150 per month to guests. This money is a lifeline – guests have no income and cannot access benefits.
