A significant proportion of the people experiencing homelessness in the UK are originally from another country. Although there are substantial gaps in the data available, we know that in some areas, such as London, around half of people rough sleeping were born outside the UK.

Crisis services help people experiencing homelessness, regardless of where they are from, but current Government policies mean some non-UK nationals are locked out of the support they need to help to prevent or resolve their homelessness. This means it can often take months, even years in some cases, to help a non-UK national to end their homelessness as they can face additional barriers and issues accessing support that UK nationals do not.

Crisis’ aim is to end homelessness for good, and this can only be achieved if the specific barriers that affect people who are not originally from the UK are addressed. Making sure that no one is homeless because of their immigration status is therefore one of Crisis’ campaigning priorities.

To understand how best to campaign and communicate on this issue, Britain Thinks conducted research on behalf of Crisis to better understand:

• The baseline understanding of and attitudes to the issue of non-UK nationals experiencing (or at risk of) homelessness.
• The most effective messaging to build awareness and support for the cause.