Crisis at Christmas

Crisis will be taking over three hotels in London to provide warm meals, shelter, support and companionship at Christmas to people who would otherwise be sleeping rough. One of the hotels will remain open for several weeks in January to provide a longer respite and to give guests the time, space, and support to start their journey out of homelessness for good.

As well as the hotels, Crisis will also be opening four day centres for five days in London for guests to attend each day for hot meals, companionship and information and advice about homelessness support. And Crisis’ Skylight centres in cities including Edinburgh, Newcastle and Coventry will be providing a mix of in-person and remote advice, support and activities.

For many, attending a Crisis centre or hotel is their first step out of homelessness, with guests introduced to Crisis’ year-round training, education and support to leave homelessness behind for good.

Cost of living

This has been an extremely tough time for many households. Thousands of people at the sharp end of poverty are at risk of being pushed into homelessness with financial pressures mounting due to the cost of living rising.  

Crisis’ recent research found 300,000 households across Britain could be forced into homelessness next year if the government fails to change course and increase housing benefit so that it covers the true cost of rents.

Earlier this month, Crisis unveiled a towering hyper-real sculpture of a person experiencing homelessness at London King’s Cross and the Bullring in Birmingham, making homelessness impossible to ignore this winter.

With people experiencing homelessness being ignored every day, the sculpture, named Alex, stands as a visible testament to the hundreds of thousands experiencing the worst kinds of homelessness, with sleeping on the streets, sofa surfing and living in temporary accommodation becoming more prevalent as the cost-of-living crisis bites.

Player support

Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery has funded projects across Crisis, directly helping people experiencing homelessness. From funding services for people when they first seek help from Crisis, to supporting start-ups offering innovative solutions to end homelessness.

Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “Pressure is building on households struggling with rising costs and we know the winter will be tough for many. This Christmas, we’ll be supporting people through our services across Britain to take their first step out of homelessness. We’ll be introducing them to the help we offer throughout the year and support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery is vital in helping us to be there for people all year round.”

With the homelessness crisis set to worsen in 2023, Crisis is calling on the nation to continue with their charitable efforts and donate what they can afford this Christmas. Visit crisis.org.uk/support to find out how you can help.