What to do if you or someone you know is at risk of homelessness

We run a range of services to help those experiencing homelessness, and we are committed to supporting people out of rough sleeping and helping them move into safety and accommodation.

Salvation Army officer speaking with a woman in one of our centres

Most of our services operate on a referral basis – this is to help ensure that we support the people that need it most. If you are homeless – or at risk of homelessness or concerned about someone who is, the best place to contact is usually your local council, ask to speak to the Homelessness or Housing Options Service.

If you live in an area with two councils – it is the council that you pay your council tax to who will be able to help you. You can contact our services direct, but they may ask you to contact the council first.

The Salvation Army is offering support in the following ways;

Running drop-in day centres with access to specialist help.
Providing hot meals, blankets and hygiene kits to help keep rough sleepers warm when the temperature drops.
Working with local authorities to seek alternatives to night shelter provision.
Developing a new initiative of nap pods in two locations, which offer self-contained Covid-safe accommodation for rough sleepers.

Useful links and numbers

Streetlink:

If you are worried about someone sleeping rough you can contact Streetlink so an outreach team can make contact with them directly and get them the support they need.

www.streetlink.org.uk or phone 0300 500 0914

NoSecond Night Out

0870 383 3333 who will be best placed to help and advise you if you need a bed for tonight.

To get food from a food bank, you usually need a foodbank voucher. You can ask for a voucher from your GP, a local homeless charity or advice agency such as Citizens Advice.

Take your voucher to the food bank and exchange it for a food parcel. It will contain at least 3 days' emergency food.

Find your nearest food bank at The Trussell Trust.

Different drop-ins may provide a number of services ranging from the practical – a shower, hot meal, warm clothes – to ‘surgeries’ run in the drop-in by specialist agencies such as outreach teams, drug and alcohol workers. Staff are on hand to help with basic housing and welfare enquiries and provide support with phone calls. Some drop-in services provide access to computers so that people can set up claims for Universal Credit or search for jobs. Other drop-in services will refer people for specialist legal advice.

Anyone can come to our drop-ins. You can contact your local Salvation Army church and see if they run a drop-in or if there is one locally. If you are homeless – or at risk of homelessness or concerned about someone who is, the best place to contact is usually your local council and speak to the Homelessness or Housing Options Service.

Use Homeless Link's directory to find a homeless day centre near you

Frequently asked questions

Below are some answers to our most frequently asked questions about what services we offer for those experiencing homelessness in the winter months.

Salvation Army Lifehouses (our hostels) support some of the most vulnerable people in the UK. Lifehouses are not just warm and safe places for people sleeping rough, they are homes with specialist support services designed to help people back into society.

We help our residents overcome addiction, improve their mental health, provide access to healthcare and learn skills so they are able to move on to secure accommodation and live with greater independence and dignity.

A stay in a Lifehouse is funded through housing benefit and The Salvation Army also makes a contribution. We ask clients to claim Housing Benefit to cover the cost of the rent and associated building costs such as fuel furnishings, laundry facilities, communal areas and any meals provided.

The Salvation Army continues to provide practical support to people who are rough sleeping through food, clothing and advice. Social distancing is in place within drop-in centres and food is being prepared in many centres and corps and either delivered or operating as a takeaway. We are also developing a new initiative to provide safe spaces to rough-sleepers this winter.

The Salvation Army’s Lifehouses (hostels) continue to operate and provide supported accommodation to people who are experiencing homelessness. The majority of local authorities now have emergency measures in place to support people who are rough-sleeping to take them off the streets into temporary accommodation, hotels or supported accommodation.

Therefore, people who are rough-sleeping should be strongly encouraged to make contact with their local authority or use Streetlink so an outreach team can make contact with them directly www.streetlink.org.uk or phone 0300 500 0914.

The majority of local authorities now have emergency measures in place to support people who are rough-sleeping to take them off the streets into temporary accommodation, hotels or supported accommodation.

Therefore, people who you notice are rough-sleeping, even if they have no recourse to public funding, should be referred to your local authority – contact their main number and provide details of where you have spotted someone - or use Streetlink so an outreach team can make contact with them directly www.streetlink.org.uk or phone 0300 500 0914.

Find your local council