With cold, dark winter nights settling in, the reality of sleeping rough and experiencing homelessness becomes even more stark. Research from Shelter earlier this year found that at least 271,000 people are recorded as homeless in England, including 123,000 children. Of these, 2,400 people are sleeping rough on any given night, 15,000 people are in hostels or supported accommodation and nearly 250,000 are living in temporary accommodation. Most of those in temporary accommodation are families.

Undoubtedly, the ongoing cost of living crisis – as well as stagnant wages and the scarcity of affordable housing – has had a significant impact on individuals and families being able to afford basics such as rent, food and energy costs. However, according to several organisations and charities, recent comments by the now former home secretary Suella Braverman have also inflicted damage on an already vulnerable population.

Last month, Braverman outlined plans to place further restrictions on people sleeping rough to be included in the Criminal Justice Bill. Describing rough sleeping as a “lifestyle choice,” her proposals would have included fines for rough sleepers who have been warned by police as well as civil penalties for charities providing tents for those sleeping on the streets. The proposed plans led to widespread criticism, including from charities and those within her own Conservative Party.

The chief executive of Shelter, Polly Neate, tells Stylist, “Right now, record numbers of people are homeless. Not because they made a “lifestyle choice,” but because the government’s own failed housing policies have left thousands unable to afford a place to live.”

She explained that the government’s decades-long failure to build affordable social homes combined with private rents at an all-time high “has created the perfect storm that is tipping more and more people into homelessness this winter”.

Alicia Walker, head of policy, research and campaigns at Centrepoint, explains that their helpline hears daily from young people sleeping rough who have reached out their local councils for help, only to be told they’re not a priority and so can’t access any support. “This isn’t acceptable in this day and age, but many councils are simply overwhelmed, and this often means young people are pushed to the bottom of the pile.”

The Salvation Army’s director of homelessness services, Nick Redmore, also points out that services that support people experiencing homelessness have seen their funding drop over the years due to a decade of austerity measures and financial cuts. “The government must make long-term investments in social housing to ensure there are enough resources to house people in crisis,” he adds.

While rough sleeping may be the most visible form of homelessness, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Shelter’s research found that the majority of people experiencing homelessness are families with children who are living in temporary accommodation.

During the winter months, Glass Door operates emergency night shelters across west and south west London every night of the week. Due to the increase in demand of women experiencing homelessness, Glass Door now has a dedicated women’s shelter circuit included in its night shelters – expanding its capacity of overall shelter spaces up 40% from last year and spaces for women up by 200%.

However, the charity says that in the first nine days of opening its night shelters last month, it received 460 referrals, a 90% increase compared to the same period the previous year.

With minimal funding for local services and high demand for spaces in shelters, more needs to be done to support people in accessing safe and affordable housing. So, what can we do to support people experiencing homelessness?

Stop, talk and offer a hot drink

“Do they need anything? Like a hot drink, some food, a travel card or some thermals? Sometimes though, just checking someone is okay and having a conversation with them makes a difference,” says Centrepoint’s Alicia Walker.

Contact Street Link

Street Link is a platform that anyone can access to connect a person with local support services. And so, if you’ve stopped to talk to someone sleeping rough, you can also ask them if they’d like you to contact Street Link – streetlink.org.uk

There are also charity helplines you can call that can advise on connecting people to the right services.

• Centrepoint – For anyone in England aged 16-25 who’s homeless or at risk. You can call them for free on 0808 800 0661 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).
• Shelter – For anyone who is homeless, has nowhere to stay tonight, worried about losing their home in the next two months or are at risk of harm. You can call them for free on 0808 800 4444 (Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm; Weekends and bank holidays, 9am-5pm).
• Glass Door – For anyone affected by homelessness, you can call 020 7351 4948.

Ask your council about SWEP

“SWEP stands for Severe Weather Emergency Protocol and provides emergency support for people who are rough sleeping when the temperatures drop. Contact your local council to find out whether SWEP is in operation and how people can access it,” says Centrepoint’s Walker.

Volunteer at your local homelessness shelter

From helping out in shelters to working in charity shops, there are several charities that are always looking for volunteers to help them with their work, especially during the winter months. Crisis has a range of Christmas roles that are now open and The Salvation Army, Shelter, Centrepoint, St Mungos, Marylebone Project and Glass Door also have volunteering opportunities.

Glass Door is also hosting a couple of festive events in December, including a screening of Elf, with donations going to the charity’s work in providing shelter and support to people experiencing homelessness.

Donate to charities

If you’re able to, you can also donate to charities working to support people experiencing homelessness. This will allow them to keep shelters open, provide food and drink and fund vital support services in areas such as mental health, addiction and domestic abuse.

Single Homeless Project has set up a dedicated page where Stylist readers can buy gifts for women experiencing homelessness, including Christmas dinners, self-care bundles, art sets, train tickets to see family or winter jackets. You can add a personalised note of support and it’ll be delivered on Christmas Day at shp.org.uk/stylist.

You can make one-off or monthly donations to:

• Shelter – shelter.org.uk/donate
• Glassdoor – glassdoor.org.uk/donate
• Centrepoint – centrepoint.org.uk/support-us/donate
• St Mungos – action.mungos.org
• The Salvation Army – salvationarmy.org.uk/donate
• Crisis – crisis.org.uk/get-involved/donate
• Marylebone Project – maryleboneproject.org.uk/support-us/donate

Read our full report into the hidden homelessness crisis in the December issue.

Image: Getty