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News in Brief : Issue 162

June 01 2026

News in brief by the Pavement Team

Response ability

In March, Croydon Council, London, launched a rapid response service to help rough sleepers move away from the streets and into safer, more stable accommodation. The rapid response focuses on finding and engaging rough sleepers as swiftly as possible. It offers trauma‑informed, compassionate support that includes access to healthcare, mental health services, substance use treatment and help with accessing accommodation. The service is a partnership project between Thames Reach, the council, police, health services and voluntary, community and faith sector groups. In a press release, Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said: “This new rapid response service demonstrates our unwavering commitment to supporting Croydon’s most vulnerable residents with dignity and compassion.”



© The People's Recovery Project
Alight here: On 4 June, the People’s Recovery Project (TPRP) has organised an afternoon of spoken word, musical performances, DJ sets, motivational talks and much more from TPRP community members. TPRP supports people experiencing homelessness and addiction to build and sustain recovery. The free event, titled Lightbulb Moments, is open to the public and runs from 2 – 5pm at Dalston Curve Garden, 13 Dalston Lane, London, E8 3DF.
If you would like to know more about the services the People’s Recovery Project provides, visit the website: thepeoplesrecoveryproject.org


Child deaths

In the past six years, 104 children in England have died because of living conditions linked to temporary accommodation, data compiled by the all-party parliamentary group for households in temporary accommodation has found. The research also found that there were 64 stillbirths and 27 neonatal deaths involving mothers living in temporary accommodation in the UK in 2024. Responding to the findings, Siobhain McDonagh, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for households in temporary accommodation, announced: “We need urgent, sustained action to bring down the number of homeless children and to ensure that no family is left in conditions that put lives at risk. Because until that happens, we cannot honestly say we are doing enough.” An estimated 135,000 households live in temporary accommodation in England, including 176,000 children.


Closure

Back in March, LBC reported London’s only existing hospital unit providing addiction treatment for rough sleepers in need of support would be closing. The Addiction Clinical Care Suite at St Thomas’ Hospital has treated more than 1,000 patients since it opened in 2021. In May, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care suggested a replacement service will be set up in due course, telling LBC: “Rising costs meant the London boroughs determined the Addiction Clinical Care Suite was no longer affordable – with a £1m shortfall and times when beds were underused. They are inviting tenders for a more sustainable service and ministers have requested further advice on future provision.”



A picture from the exhibition SEEN. © Jack Eames
Picture perfect: A photography exhibition centering on Haircuts4Homeless (H4H) was held in London in April. Photographer and director Jack Eames spent seven years focusing his lens on the work of H4H, a charity offering people experiencing homelessness in the UK free haircuts. There are roughly 56 H4H projects in the UK, which since its foundation in 2014 has provided more than 12,000 free haircuts. Marking the opening of SEEN, Stewart Roberts MBE, founder of H4H, called the exhibition “a celebration of dignity, humanity and the belief that everyone deserves to be seen.”
Learn more about Haircuts4Homeless on its website: www.haircuts4homeless.com


Pub lunch

A WhatsApp group’s members are buying meals and drinks for homeless people through the Wetherspoon’s app. The group was started by Chris Illman, who was inspired by the Facebook group ‘Wetherspoons: the Game!’, a group that encourages strangers on Facebook to order rounds of drinks for each other at any Wetherspoon’s pub. That group is some 800,000 members strong. Illman’s WhatsApp group currently stands at around 700 members, operating on the premise that instead of buying drinks for one another, they would buy food and non-alcoholic drinks for those who could not afford it themselves. According to the Guardian, to request a meal people can contact admins on the ‘Wetherspoon’s: The Game!’ Facebook page with their location and meal request, accompanied by a photo to prove they are real and in the pub. An admin will then send the anonymised request to the WhatsApp group of potential donors. Since 2018, the group has bought tens of thousands of meals and hundreds of thousands of snacks for vulnerable people across the UK. 


Village people

Social Bite has opened a homelessness village in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council. Harriet Gardens is a £3m supported living community in Rutherglen, featuring 15 high-quality modular Nest Houses, an outdoor gym and a central community hub with shared spaces for cooking, group activities, therapeutic support and social connection. Third Force News quoted co-founder of Social Bite, Josh Littlejohn MBE, welcoming the news: “Harriet Gardens represents what is possible when we bring together housing, support and community in the right way. This is not just about providing a roof over someone’s head – it’s about creating a place where people feel valued, supported and able to rebuild their lives.” The village will be managed by charity partner The Salvation Army, providing specialist, round-the-clock support to residents.



© the Pavement
Opening night: Members of the Pavement team were present for opening night of a new exhibition by the Museum of Homelessness. Criminal charts the causes and criminalisation of homelessness from the 1600s to today. The exhibition includes new works by artists including 10Foot, Gemma Lees, Matt Bonner, Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives and Surfing Sofas. A remarkable – and at times shocking – history of homelessness, Criminal is open from 21 May to 25 July and is free to attend. You can visit and see for yourself on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 12:30 – 4:30pm, at the museum’s Manor House Lodge address by Manor House Station, Seven Sisters Road, London, N4 2DE. The museum is closed 3, 4, 10 and 11 July. 
For more information see the Museum of Homelessness website: museumofhomelessness.org


Open all year

An Edinburgh winter homeless shelter will operate year-round, following a funding boost from Edinburgh Council. The Welcome Centre, run by Bethany Christian Trust, is usually open for the winter months and was due to close at the end of April 2026, but will now operate through to March 2027. The centre accommodates 64 households who have been sleeping rough in Edinburgh, providing meals and support to guests. Councillor Tim Pogson, housing, homelessness and fair work convener, told Edinburgh Evening News: “We don’t want people to have to sleep rough at any time of the year, so I’m really pleased that we’ll be able to keep the Welcome Centre open throughout 2026.”


Health warning

A major new briefing from Public Health Scotland has warned that homelessness in the country is increasingly driven by poverty, poor health and systemic pressures across public services. The Health and Homelessness Briefing, published in May, identifies homelessness is both a cause and consequence of severe health inequalities, with people experiencing homelessness facing significantly higher risks of physical and mental ill‑health, premature mortality and repeated contact with crisis services. Scottish Housing News reported Public Health Scotland has called for coordinated, rights‑based action to prevent people experiencing homelessness.



© Glasgow City Mission
Bicentenary birthday: Glasgow City Mission marked the 200th anniversary of its establishment in May, inviting people working with the homeless community from across the globe to learn about its projects and take part in a number of activities in the city. Four days of celebrations were brought to a close with a church service at Glasgow Cathedral on Sunday 17 May. The Mission was founded in 1826 and today involves volunteers and staff from more than 100 churches in and around Glasgow.

  • Glasgow City Mission provides a range of services for people experiencing homelessness, including a drop-in centre, winter accommodation, food, outreach and much more. Visit the website to find out more: 
    www.glasgowcitymission.com 
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