At a conference, Responding to homelessness: the churches’ role, held in London on Thursday 18th June, Housing Justice announced the figures for people helped by church-run winter shelters between December 2008 and March 2009.
• More than 1,400 people slept in 15 shelters in Greater London over the winter period.
• The shelters were run by more than 5,000 volunteers from church congregations and local
communities.
• 250 bed spaces were provided every night
• If the church shelters were commissioned the overall cost would be at least £1m
Sally Leigh, Housing Justice London Coordinator and volunteer at Finchley Churches shelter commented: “The church winter shelters are an example of a healthy community response to the needs of the most vulnerable in our society. We are pleased that this movement is growing, with shelters in Brent and Kingston opening last winter for the first time, and new ones in Haringey and the City of London at the planning stage for next winter”
The winter shelters’ announcement and the conference both focus attention on the vital contribution churches have to make if the government’s Rough Sleeping Strategy, No One Left Out, is to achieve the target of ending rough sleeping by 2012.
Michelle Binfield, Specialist Homelessness Advisor at Communities and Local Government Department, addressing the conference, said: “Churches and faith groups already work with great commitment to give a helping hand to vulnerable people and this is something to celebrate. The challenge for all of us today is this: How can churches play an effective part in a joined up strategy at the local level to end the need for people to sleep on the street for the long-term? The Government's rough sleeping strategy No One Left Out - communities ending rough sleeping signals our desire to work collaboratively with faith and church groups to enable this to happen.”
Rt Reverend James Langstaff, Chair of Housing Justice and Bishop of Lynn, said: “You don’t have to be Christian to be on the side of the vulnerable, but if you are Christian you have no choice – it’s part of the person specification. We’ve been doing this kind of work in various guises for centuries and that will continue. Christians are motivated and inspired by a vision of love which is given unconditionally, and that means we cannot walk away.”
Delegates at the conference had the opportunity to attend workshops about street homelessness, ‘coming inside’ and transforming society. Short seminars were also offered by 20 organisations involved in action on housing and homelessness.
For more information, Contact: Alison Gelder 078 2794 7019, a.gelder@housingjustice.org.uk
Or Sally Leigh 078 2794 7017 s.leigh@housingjustice.org.uk
