Since the pandemic hit in March 2020, we’ve been researching the impact of COVID-19 on people experiencing homelessness
Our aims
1. To understand how COVID-19 and the response to it is affecting the lives of people who are homeless.
2. To include the voices of people experiencing homelessness in the national and local decision-making processes.
Our findings
After COVID-19: Our joint statement with Crisis, St Mungo’s and The Strategy Unit
Grounded in the research of these four organisations, our joint statement outlines six vital actions the health and care sector should take to support people experiencing homelessness, following COVID-19.
#COVIDstories: On the ground reports & stories
A community-led storytelling project documenting the impact of COVID-19 on people experiencing homelessness in the UK, with On Our Radar.
Report: Monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on people experiencing homelessness
The report collates the findings from our regular COVID-19 briefings (available below). It highlights what we heard from people experiencing homelessness, and what actions to take to create change.
Animations
Produced to illustrate two of the reports made for our #COVIDstories project in partnership with On Our Radar, animated by May Kindred-Booth.
It’s lockdown 2
Here Paul relays his experience of how people who were homeless were portrayed by society as England went into ‘lockdown 2’ in November 2020.
WET PAINT DON’T TOUCH
Steve talks about his challenges of homelessness and addiction during the first UK lockdown in Spring 2020.
COVID-19 briefings
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been drawing on daily diaries, telephone interviews and a network of 13 digital reporters.
The findings have led to these briefings highlighting the experiences, challenges, barriers and opportunities people who were homeless were facing during the pandemic.
The full research process has been led by people with experience of homelessness.
We encourage you to use these briefings when planning services, support, responses and solutions to the issue of homelessness during COVID-19.
We are grateful to NHS England and Improvement and The National Lottery Community Fund for funding this project. The research will directly inform the way the NHS responds to COVID-19 for people who are homeless.
