Our Homeless Services
St Mungo's creates more opportunities for homeless people to get permanent new homes and to find meaningful activities, learning and employment than any other charity. Our work focuses on three main areas:
- Providing emergency services. These include emergency shelters and hostels, and outreach teams who work on the streets with people sleeping rough. We support homeless people in real and urgent need, and last year helped thousands off the streets into accommodation. Of course, this emergency work is fundamental - but it is only the first step.
- Supporting homeless people in their recovery. We help people tackle the problems that have led to their homelessness by opening the door to drug and alcohol treatment, and providing access to decent physical and mental health care - as well as finding routes to employment and enjoyable relationships. Our semi-independent housing projects mean nearly 700 people are gaining confidence every day in their independent living skills.
- Preventing homelessness. This is a vital part of our work. Many people at risk of homelessness have damaged and chaotic lives, and may come from difficult backgrounds. Our support teams work with vulnerable people - from former rough sleepers in their new homes, to ex-offenders with mental health problems, to people who beg - to make positive changes in their lives. We also offer high support housing to nearly 400 men and women who could so easily end up sleeping rough, ensuring they have a safe and supportive place from which to go forward.
We try to make our projects responsive to the changing needs of today's homeless and vulnerable people. For example, recent innovations include: accommodation for vulnerable women fleeing from abuse in crack houses; support for people who have a dual diagnosis (combined drug and mental health problems); and work with 'career beggars'.
Read more about the effectiveness of our services.
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