World Homeless Day 2025

Many people picture homelessness as rough sleeping, but homelessness takes many forms including temporary housing and sofa surfing. Every person’s experience is different.

When we talk about homelessness, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of oversimplifying the causes and too often, people facing homelessness are met with judgment. In reality, homelessness is usually the result of a complex mix of factors such as poverty, rising housing costs, lack of social housing, job loss, family breakdown and domestic abuse.

At Elim, we believe in seeing the person, not the problem, and our approach goes beyond providing a roof over someone’s head. We focus on emotional, social, and practical support: from developing job skills and accessing mental health care, to creating opportunities for people to connect with others who understand what they’re going through.

We work in partnership with other organisations to deliver our support. One of these is Homes for Cathy, a collective of housing associations and homelessness charities committed to ending homelessness. Through this partnership, we have signed up to nine homelessness commitments, which guide and benchmark best practice across Elim.

Time and again, we see the impact. A young person taking the keys to their first flat, someone overcoming a mental health crisis and families beginning to rebuild their lives. These successes show that, with the right support, residents are empowered to achieve their own goals that create lasting change.

World Homelessness Day is a chance to not only reflect on the challenges but also to take action. Whether it’s donating, volunteering, or simply learning more about the realities of homelessness. You can make a big difference and are helping to change lives.