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Recognising the hard work to fight the homelessness crisis
This year’s London Homelessness Awards showcased the incredible frontline work happening in our city, writes Jennifer Wynter, assistant director of benefits and homeless prevention at Hackney Council
Jennifer Wynter is assistant director of Benefits and Homeless Prevention at Hackney Council
London Councils estimates that one in 50 Londoners are homeless and living in temporary accommodation. This includes almost 90,000 children – meaning on average of at least one homeless child in every London classroom.
Rough sleeping has also grown significantly in the capital, spiralling by 58% in the decade since 2014.
These numbers can feel despairing, and this year’s awards ceremony was a poignant display of the emotion felt by those of us working in the sector. It also exhibited the tireless efforts of frontline staff in London, the epicentre of the national homelessness crisis, who refuse to let the bleak situation deter them.
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Our first-prize winner this year was the Night Shelter Lettings Network created by charity Housing Justice. It is a fantastic example of using innovative solutions to find routes out of homelessness.
The network is a web-based portal listing all rental properties in London at housing benefit levels. It is the first time all this information can be accessed in one place. Housing Justice carries out checks on the properties, offers a referral system for night shelters, and pays the upfront cost to secure the properties.
“Our first-prize winner this year was the Night Shelter Lettings Network created by charity Housing Justice. It is a fantastic example of using innovative solutions to find routes out of homelessness”
Judges had a challenging time choosing between the other shortlisted projects, which were all of such high quality.
Lambeth Council and the Treasures Foundation, which provides accommodation and support to women with histories of drug abuse and offending, were awarded joint second place, with judges unable to choose between their tremendous work.
Thames Reach and The Passage, the charities, and social enterprise Turning Point were also highly commended for services that ranged from immediate emergency accommodation, to providing harm-reduction advice and drug and alcohol treatment.
All the shortlisted organisations for this year’s awards are responding to the homelessness emergency with an unwavering commitment to making a real difference in people’s lives and showing there is no one simple solution.
“In these enormously difficult times, it is especially important to celebrate the immense achievements of homelessness services”
In these enormously difficult times, it is especially important to celebrate the immense achievements of homelessness services.
As the network of senior housing officers for all the capital’s local authorities, the London Housing Directors’ Group is committed not only to commending these services, but also to learning from them. We are proud to sponsor the awards alongside the London Housing Foundation, Crisis, Shelter and the mayor of London.
Recognising and highlighting best practice among London’s statutory and voluntary sector bodies is a vital part of the city taking a lead on ending homelessness.
Jennifer Wynter, assistant director of benefits and homeless prevention, Hackney Council, and judge, London Homelessness Awards on behalf of the London Housing Directors’ Group
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