Herefordshire Unites to End Homelessness
On World Homeless Day, more than 30 organisations from across Herefordshire came together at Community Power’s new hub in St Peter’s Square. A welcoming place where the very successful homelessness project Lee’s Place operates from to launch the Herefordshire Homeless Charter.
The Charter sets out a shared vision for a Herefordshire where everyone has access to a safe home, a supportive community, and the opportunity to thrive. Signatories — spanning public services, charities, health and faith groups — pledge to collaborate so that people are not only housed, but heard, respected, and empowered.
Christine Price, Chief Officer at Healthwatch Herefordshire and Chair of the Herefordshire Homelessness Forum, spoke passionately about the human impact behind the initiative:
“Real change only happens when we work together. The Charter is a powerful reminder that ending homelessness isn’t just about bricks and mortar — it’s about people. It’s about listening to their voices, valuing their experiences, and supporting them to rebuild their lives.
At Lee’s Place, we see every day how compassion, collaboration and trust can empower people to move forward. By joining forces across organisations and communities, we can make homelessness in Herefordshire rare, brief, and never repeated.”
Her words capture the spirit of the Charter: a call for unity, empathy and action at a time when homelessness across the UK remains a growing concern.
Why the Charter Matters
According to Shelter, more than 309,000 people in England are currently homeless, including over 130,000 children. In the West Midlands alone, 1 in every 200 people are without a safe home. Locally, Herefordshire Council has supported hundreds of residents in recent years through emergency accommodation and prevention schemes — yet the rising cost of living and shortage of affordable housing continue to put pressure on individuals and families.
Signatories to the Charter pledge to work collaboratively to help end homelessness in Herefordshire. This means that people:
- Have a safe, secure home
- Have a voice and involvement in determining the solutions to their own issues, to homelessness generally, and in wider society
- Can tell their own story, be listened to, feel that their experience is valued and not be stigmatised through being homeless
- Have equality of access to information and services
- Are able to make safe choices about their own lives, which are respected
- Have the appropriate level of support, where needed, to create a good quality of life and wellbeing
- Have equality of opportunity to employment, training, volunteering, leisure and creative activities
- Are safe from violence, abuse, theft and discrimination, and benefit from the full protection of the law
Hilary Hall, Corporate Director of Community Wellbeing at Herefordshire Council, said:
“The Charter is a tangible demonstration of the great partnership working that happens daily in Herefordshire to support people experiencing homelessness. It represents a commitment to working together across all sectors to prevent homelessness, support those in need, and build a future where no one in our county is left behind.”
Cllr Carole Gandy, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, added:
“We’ve already secured nearly £10 million in additional funding over the past five years and significantly reduced the number of long-term rough sleepers in the county. The Charter signals our continued commitment to ensuring that everyone in Herefordshire can live their best life and have somewhere they can truly call home.”
A Collective Promise for Change
World Homeless Day (10 October) highlights the global effort to tackle homelessness and promote lasting solutions. In Herefordshire, that effort is being made real through shared action — where agencies, volunteers, and local people stand together behind a single promise: that everyone deserves a safe place to live and the dignity that comes with it.
For more information about the Herefordshire Homeless Charter or to get involved, call Christine Price on 01432 277044.
To learn more about World Homeless Day, visit www.worldhomelessday.org
