Here are four ways that your support helped us win campaigns and get closer to ending homelessness in 2023.
Our vision is a future free from homelessness.
Powered by individual donations, dedicated volunteers and determined campaign supporters, in 2023 we’ve achieved some fantastic campaign wins.
These wins will make a huge difference to the lives of people facing homelessness – and help prevent people from being forced into homelessness in the first place.
We’re still some way off from ending homelessness – but every day you help us get one step closer.
Here are the campaigns we won together in 2023.
We regulated the rogues
In June, the Supported Housing Act was finally signed into law.
This new law will improve the lives of thousands of people who have been forced to live with the misery of unregulated exempt accommodation.
This is a type of shared housing for people with support needs, such as a mental health condition or experience of homelessness or domestic abuse. The Act will stop rogue landlords profiting while leaving people to live in unsafe, dangerous shared housing with little to no support.
While we worked with MP Bob Blackman to introduce the Bill into Parliament, you lobbied MPs, amplified the voices of people affected by rogue landlords, and kept the pressure on politicians.
Thousands of you spoke up to demand that the government act to protect people living in exempt accommodation run by rogue landlords. Your actions were even recognised by Secretary of State Michael Gove.
This is an historic win and a reminder that when we work together, we can make real change.
Housing benefit unfrozen
After months of pressure and campaigning, Jeremy Hunt announced in the Autumn Statement that the UK Government will finally unfreeze housing benefit.
From April, housing benefits will now cover up to the cheapest third of rents in an area. This will go some way to ease the pressure of soaring rents on millions of people across Great Britain.
The UK Government has kept housing benefit frozen since 2020, while rents have soared.
This freeze has had chilling consequences. People on the lowest incomes have been completely priced out of renting, and just 5% of properties in Great Britain are affordable to people on housing benefit.
This has forced many people into homelessness and trapped many more in unsuitable temporary accommodation.
We won!! The UK Government will finally unfreeze housing benefit.
— Crisis (@crisis_uk) November 22, 2023
This will prevent and end the homelessness of tens of thousands of people across Great Britain.
You played a huge role in this. This would not have happened without your actions – THANK YOU. People power works! pic.twitter.com/D5swRO0tp3
An incredible 3,000 of you emailed your MP, and 2,500 sent a message directly to Jeremy Hunt calling on him to invest to end homelessness. Your pressure paid off – thank you!
A step towards ending homelessness in Wales
We were delighted to be invited by the Welsh Government to coordinate an expert panel over the past year, looking at how changes to law could help to end homelessness in Wales.
The panel’s work was centred around the views of more than 300 people with lived experience of homelessness in Wales (with thanks to our partners at Cymorth Cymru). The panel also consulted widely with professionals across the country.
The Welsh Government published a White Paper, setting out its plans to change the law on homelessness - taking on board many of the panel’s recommendations.
The proposals include providing support to people at risk of homelessness much earlier, improving access to social homes and abolishing an outdated law that limits the support single people can access.
While there’s a long journey ahead to shape these proposals and see them inked into the legislative books, the ambition shown is truly world-leading.
Your support for Crisis means we’re able to do this work and deliver lasting progress towards ending homelessness.
New prevention duties for Scotland
After taking over as First Minister earlier in the year, Humza Yousaf re-iterated his government’s commitment to introducing new measures to prevent homelessness in Scotland.
The plans, based on the recommendations of the Crisis-convened Prevention Review Group, could help Scotland build a truly world-leading homelessness system.
Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to continually make the case for new legal duties to help prevent people being forced into homelessness. These new laws will take us a step closer to ending homelessness in Scotland.
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