The latest government figures show rough sleeping in England has jumped by 20% in just one year – but behind the statistics are real people, facing brutal conditions.
While many of us are starting to enjoy the lighter evenings and sunnier days, thousands of people are still sleeping rough, facing cold and unsafe nights without shelter or support. This winter was the coldest in 15 years and for those on the streets, the struggle hasn’t ended with the change in season.
Emmaus is now helping one person every 60 minutes make a new start. But to end homelessness, we must do more — and demand a fairer society.
“To solve homelessness, we must dare to demand a fairer society.”
– Charlotte Talbott, CEO of Emmaus UK
We need more than short-term fixes
That’s why we’re calling for urgent government action through our Action on Homelessness manifesto – a set of six key measures that would help tackle the root causes of homelessness and create lasting change.
We’ve been engaging with MPs and influencing ministers to make these changes a reality. With your support, we will keep pushing the government to:
- Act on supported housing: Drive up standards across the supported housing sector.
- Create more affordable homes: Build more social rent accommodation for people on lower incomes.
- Take a cross-government approach: Set up a task force that brings together all relevant departments beyond housing.
- Invest for the long term: Commit to longer-term homelessness funding that focuses on prevention.
- On-the-ground consultation: Engage people with lived experience of homelessness and enable local insights to drive solutions.
- No one criminalised for being homeless: Deliver compassionate support, not cruel powers that criminalise people who are homeless.
The Supported Housing Act offers a chance to get it right
One promising step is the progress of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act, which aims to improve the quality and safety of supported housing. If done right, it could help stop people from falling through the cracks. But this can only succeed with proper funding, clear accountability, and the involvement of those with lived experience.
Together for change
Homelessness is not just a housing issue. It’s about poverty, trauma, inequality, and disconnection. Solving it requires commitment across all areas of government and the political will to build a fairer, more compassionate society.
In the meantime, thousands of people are still facing the cold, sleeping in cars, tents, shop doorways, or unsafe accommodation. They urgently need warmth, shelter and support. And with your help, Emmaus can be there.
Please donate to help give someone the shelter, support and dignity they deserve.
Together, we can respond to this crisis — and take action to end homelessness for good.