Helping people find homes

We provide resources and information to help people secure stable housing. Individuals and families who need a home or may be at risk of losing theirs. We work on providing housing information from various sources, including local authorities, charitable organisations, businesses and volunteers. Working together to enable people in need to discover the help they need. 

We gather and centralise information on resources to help you if you are at risk of losing your home or are homeless. We provide useful contact information such as where to find temporary shelter, advice hubs, drop-in centres and more from local authority sites and various charities. With help from experienced and knowledgeable teams who are available to help you understand your options and who to contact. See the information links provided below.

We use donations, legacy gifts, and contributions to help fund our work. We collect and manage data to help support our work in providing contacts, guidance and resources to help people with difficulties finding or retaining a home. We guide people to available resources to help themselves find what options are available. Providing information for London, Hertfordshire, and Essex. See Housing resources contact sheets below.

We search for information and get data from partners and individuals about how to secure temporary and long-term accommodation, with a view to housing people in need. Check the resource lists below to help you find a temporary or long-term home today. Let us know of any useful material we can add to the website.

The mission of Housing Need is to help families and individuals find a safe and secure accommodation. The information provided gives contact numbers and access to resources of who can guide and advise you on your housing needs. The information is for everyone and free to use.

Alongside providing information, we seek to find opportunities for homeless people through homes that are empty.  Empty homes include a mixture of long term (over 6 months), exempted (has an issue), mid-term (under 6 months), empty holiday lets and furnished homes not in use makes up the 1 in 25 empty homes across the UK.  Abandoned homes make up many of the long term empty properties which could be used for homeless or those in danger of becoming homeless.  We engage with owners of unused property to help them turn an empty dwelling into a home for someone and create greater capacity.  

We do research and seek knowledge regarding resources available on accommodation for homeless people through partners, the public and various organisations. We search for housing information that can help homeless people and those at risk of homelessness to prevent losing their homes. Centralising information and resources for people under threat of homelessness. 

Since 2016, the number of empty homes has increased; 2024 saw an increase of 4,000. The highest since the 2020 pandemic. Second homes total 280,000 in the UK. Some homes are often empty due to family disputes, no known heirs, and many are abandoned due to high refurbishment costs, inheritance tax or long-term sickness. We seek to provide information on how to avoid homelessness and, find out which properties could become a home for someone. The resources we provide help people to help themselves in the search for a home. 

Homeless people are substantially more likely to report having chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic COPD, heart problems, and stroke. The longer someone is homeless, the more complex their problems become and the more difficult it can be to get back on their feet. Not having a stable and secure home can make it harder for people to find a job, stay healthy and maintain relationships. Experiencing isolation and alone, increasing their chances of taking drugs or experiencing mental health problems. Healthcare is only possible when someone is registered with a GP. Many GPs require an address to register an individual, which can be a huge issue to accessing services. Turning someone away because they do not have an address is now (thankfully) unlawful.  Homeless people often die in their forties.