The National Plan to End Homelessness
The Government released, in December 2025, its National Plan to End Homelessness and has been met with positive feedback from the 3rd sector, and homeless support services, on its intentions.
It’s a big read, as with many Government documents but has taken input from, among others, the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Lived Experience Forum.
As with any of these documents, it is just a plan, but it is ticking all the right boxes.
The Holiday Inn Incident: Policy vs Humanity
This is always a busy time in the Homeless sector as winter takes it’s grip and households fall into poverty. Many councils have been activating their SWEP (Sever Weather Protocols) as temperatures plunge and homeless people face a very real struggle to survive both during the day and the night.
Some charities and councils will book people into hotels or motels for the night, or several nights, to get them off the streets and into safety. But this was not so simple for two men who were booked into a Holiday Inn Express in Manchester by the charity Two Brews, who pre-paid for the room plus the £100 damage insurance.
They were turned away by the desk as it was ‘Policy’ not allow homeless people to stay there and turned out into the freezing night. A Holiday Inn Express representative has since apologized saying the incident was not in keeping with company policy and “should have been handled differently” and training and steps were being put into place to stop this from happening – Sounds like too little, too late, or something to do with closing the stable gate!
As for the two homeless gentlemen – They were checked into a Travelodge where the staff “Were amazing and very supportive”.
Temporary Accommodation: Profits and Risks
Temporary accommodation is back in the news again as a knock on of the incredible amount of money hotels, hostels, and private landlords make from providing asylum seekers with accommodation.
By an incredible coincidence, it appears the vast amounts of profit are being made by those offering temporary accommodation to hopeless people and families! I know… Who would have thought it?
But the problems are far greater than just the costs. Many of those being housed in the facilities are vulnerable. With this, news has surfaced that a worker in a guesthouse housing young families did not only have access to all the rooms, but was not DBS checked despite working directly with the guests. He was convicted of Rape and sentenced to 25 years in prison in January.
We can only hope that from this awful tragedy some lessons are learned and quickly applied to services providing a roof over the heads of, not only vulnerable people, but anyone being accommodated anywhere and for any reason.
Women-Only Facilities: Addressing Hidden Homelessness
Finally, women requiring women only facilities have been recently highlighted by various charities and agencies during studies.
It comes at a time when these facilities, like all others, need more funding to create more accommodation but the fact that it has been recognized and women on the streets, who are often not counted and are considered part of the hidden homeless, are being seen, listened to and supported is a step in the right direction.
This highlights the need for appropriate housing (Temporary or otherwise) that needs to be created for those members of the community that are vulnerable.
It’s great to see that such facilities are being created but this is mostly being driven by the 3rd sector.
