Westminster - advocacy

Advocacy

Our Advocacy work aims to make the system fairer and easier to navigate for people sleeping rough, or at risk of homelessness.

Policy and advocacy campaigning

As a London homeless charity located in the heart of Westminster and just a short walk from Whitehall, we are strategically positioned to influence national policy through effective homelessness advocacy.

Addressing systemic issues

To end homelessness permanently, we must tackle the systemic problems that cause people to become homeless and prevent them from receiving the necessary support. Homelessness is preventable. With the right policies and advocacy efforts, no one should face have to this situation.

To end homelessness for good, we need to address the systemic issues that result in people becoming homeless and then not getting the support they need.

Our Advocacy focuses for ending homelessness

Through our work with the most vulnerable members of our society, we have identified three critical advocacy areas that can significantly reduce rough sleeping:

  • Invest in Affordable and Suitable Social Housing: We need urgent investment in housing for people with complex needs.
  • Support Mental Health and Addiction Services: Flexible services are crucial for individuals with complex needs
  • Provide Gender-Specific Support for Women: From commissioning to service delivery, tailored support for women is essential.

    • These policy asks can be viewed in full here

    Amplifying voices through advocacy

    The Connection at St. Martin’s is working to give a voice to the people we support so that those in power listen.

    Leveraging our unique position in Westminster and our expertise, we strive to combat homelessness through targeted advocacy and policy changes. We hope that Keir Starmer’s new government and our local MP, Rachel Blake, will support our efforts.

    We also collaborate with other charities, engage with people who have lived experience of homelessness, and build relationships with policymakers to effect change. Our advocacy efforts include:

  • Sitting on the advisory group of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness
  • Being part of the Inequalities in Health Alliance
  • Joining the Joseph Rowntree Trust Anti-Poverty Coalition

    • Improving access to addiction treatment

    We surveyed the people we support to understand their biggest challenges. Around 70% said it was addiction. For many, substance use is the biggest barrier they face in finding secure housing.

    Additionally, many people sleeping rough in Westminster lack appropriate support to break the cycles of addiction and rough sleeping. They deserve better.

    graph on substance misuse - advocacy
    Many people are extremely vulnerable in Westminster but are not being offered appropriate support that can help break the cycles of addiction and rough sleeping. They deserve better.

    The Connection is exploring treatment options and the barriers to accessing them. We will test new approaches to strengthen evidence on effective solutions and advocate for better support availability.

    Advocacy news

    We have achieved significant milestones in our advocacy work over the past five years, including:

  • March 2024: Launched our policy proposals ahead of the upcoming election.
  • February 2024: Responded to the consultation on acute mental health care in Westminster.
  • 2023: Supported Crisis’s efforts to prevent the criminalisation of people experiencing homelessness under the Criminal Justice Bill.
  • 2022: Responded to the government’s consultation on repealing the Vagrancy Act.
  • 2020/21: Played a pivotal role in the ‘Everyone In’ pandemic response, which greatly influenced our policy work.
  • 2020: Presented our five policy changes document to Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his visit to The Connection.

    • 2019: Launched our advocacy efforts with a comprehensive consultation with our service teams to identify barriers in supporting people out of homelessness. We developed five policies for meaningful, long-term change for rough sleepers.

    How You Can Help

    Your support is crucial.

    Help us keep momentum going by writing to your MP and make sure they know we want to make homelessness a thing of the past.

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