Places for People joins Crisis Homelessness Alliance to strengthen action on homelessness

Ahead of World Homelessness Day, Places for People (PfP) has become the first social housing provider to join the Crisis Homelessness Alliance, reinforcing its commitment to preventing homelessness and supporting people affected by it.

The Alliance brings together organisations taking practical action to help end homelessness. By signing Crisis’ three Homelessness Pledges, PfP will build on its existing work by strengthening prevention activity, expanding partnerships and creating more routes into employment. 

The three pledges commit PfP to: 

• Taking action to help end homelessness in local communities through awareness, partnerships, fundraising and volunteering. 
• Adopting fair and inclusive employment and recruitment practices for people affected by homelessness. 
• Creating more employment, training and development opportunities for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

Last year, PfP helped 16,887 people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. It owns or manages more than 260,000 homes across the UK, including 86,000 for social rent, and continues to build new social homes where they are needed most. 

PfP also works to prevent homelessness by helping customers sustain their tenancies, providing supported housing and emergency accommodation, and supporting access to education, training and employment.  

Through its Space to Start campaign, it is developing modular homes and repurposing existing buildings to increase the supply of high-quality temporary accommodation for families experiencing homelessness.  

Joining the alliance marks another step in this work. Over the next two years, PfP will deliver an action plan focused on strengthening partnerships with local authorities and homelessness organisations, increasing awareness and creating more opportunities for people with lived experience of homelessness to shape services and access employment. 

This includes exploring more trauma-informed recruitment practices, working with Crisis to identify opportunities to recruit people with lived experience of homelessness, and developing training and work placements for customers experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

Colleagues are making a difference beyond their day jobs too, with more than 80 taking part in the Together for Homes 5K this year, raising funds and awareness alongside Crisis and others across the housing sector. 

Larry Gold, CEO of Housing and Communities at Places for People, said:

“Everyone deserves a safe, secure place to call home, yet too many people continue to face homelessness and housing insecurity.   

“At PfP we are committed not only to providing homes but also to helping people build stable, independent lives.  Last year we supported almost 17,000 people who were homeless or at risk or homelessness but we know there is more we can do. 

“By joining the Crisis Homelessness Alliance we are strengthening our commitment to prevention, partnership and opportunity.  Working alongside Crisis and other Alliance members will help us learn from best practice, amplify our impact and create more pathways into employment, training and long term housing security for those who need it most. 

“Homelessness isn’t just a housing issue – it affects health, wellbeing, employment, families and communities. By working together and learning from what works, we can make an even greater contribution to preventing homelessness and helping more people build secure, independent lives.”