Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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June – July 2026 : Labels READ ONLINE

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Women-led pathway

June 01 2026

Read about a new Crisis service for women experiencing homelessness. By Hazel Buontempo and Joy Chan of the Crisis team

Every December, hundreds of people facing homelessness come to Crisis at Christmas hotels and day centres in London. Volunteers offer a warm welcome, safety, food and companionship, making Christmas a time that genuinely changes lives.

While we feel incredibly proud of this work, a few years back we started to recognise a gap: too few women were accessing the offer, even though referral numbers showed this wasn’t due to a lack of need. We therefore knew barriers must exist, making the provision feel inaccessible. Women in our year-round services consistently tell us how dangerous rough sleeping can be, with many experiencing violence, exploitation and abuse. Homelessness services are often male-dominated and can feel intimidating to women, meaning they avoid them altogether or leave soon after arriving.

It was clear we needed to create something different: a space where women could feel safe, comfortable and able to work at their own pace. A place grounded in dignity, where they could begin their journey out of homelessness.
In late 2024, I was asked to help bring together a women-led group (with one honorary male – our Head of Christmas, Ian!) to design a new offer.

Crucially, the group included women with lived experience of homelessness, including someone who had used our Christmas services before. Their insights were essential in shaping what the service should look and feel like.

Over 14 months, I co-led this work with my colleague Sarah, who leads our Impact, Research and Practice team. We worked closely with the Christmas team to design a service that prioritised accessibility, inclusion and safety. We considered every detail – from referral routes to on-site support – to ensure women would feel safe, relaxed and comfortable enough to begin their journey out of homelessness.

On 23 December, we opened the doors to our new Women-Led Pathway in east London. The service offered two weeks of safe, comfortable respite accommodation for 41 women. A key priority for me had been ensuring the service was accessible to trans women and non-binary people so they could also feel safe and welcomed, and this too was achieved.

Seeing it come to life during my visit on Christmas Eve, after more than a year of planning, felt incredible. The venue had tranquil enclosed grounds and outdoor space, welcoming communal areas where guests could connect with each other, volunteers and case managers.

Learning that by the first morning, every place had been filled brought mixed feelings. In some ways it was a relief: our efforts to make the service more accessible had worked. We had opened referral routes to more partners supporting women and removed the requirement for guests to be ‘verified’ rough sleepers. We also made it more personal – staff contacted guests in advance, helped plan travel and shared clear information about what to expect. Yet alongside this was a sobering reality: it being full so quickly drove home the immense level of need.

From the outset, however, it was great to see guests relaxing and chatting – something which had previously taken time. People were socialising, using the lounges and engaging with health and wellbeing support from day one. Activities and services had been shaped by what women told us they wanted, including healthcare, creative sessions, IT access and wellbeing activities, which this year included a sauna trip! Volunteers supported with everything from clothing to games, while hotel staff provided delicious meals. On-site psychological support for both guests and our team ensured it felt safe.

The outcomes from the pathway were significant: 78% of guests did not return to rough sleeping after their stay and almost all remained for the full two weeks. For those who did return to homelessness, we have at least begun their support and will continue working with them towards long-term solutions.

Planning is already underway for Christmas 2026, when we aim to extend the offer to three weeks. While our ultimate goal is to end homelessness altogether, we know this requires broader systemic change – including a significant increase in social housing, investment in welfare and in support services.  

In the meantime, we will build on the success of the women-led pathway, both at Christmas and across our wider services. We look forward to supporting more women to begin their journey out of homelessness in the years ahead.

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