3,944 people were seen sleeping rough in London between January and March 2026. Meanwhile, the latest Women’s Rough Sleeping Census found up to ten times more women sleep rough than government snapshot counts show. Soaring rents, scarce social housing, and benefit cuts leave many homeless. There is a dire need to prevent people facing unsafe conditions on the street. According to Crisis, nine in ten people sleeping rough in England have experienced violence or abuse.

Our vision is routes out of homelessness for people in need. We provide a safe place to sleep, hot meals and structured support into longer-term housing. The shelters are run by a team of volunteers from the local community, alongside overnight workers and small team of core staff. While many shelters operate seasonally, Hackney Night Shelter is open 365 nights a year. In 2025 we supported 209 individuals and almost all of them moved on positively to stable housing.