14th Oct 2024
Houseful has shared an update on its commitment to support the end of homelessness in the UK this World Homelessness Day (October 10th). Houseful encompasses a range of leading property brands including Hometrack, Alto and Zoopla.
Houseful recently signed Crisis’ Homelessness Covenant for employers to signal its support for the mission of its charity partner to end all types of homelessness. As a signatory of the covenant, Houseful has committed to three pledges:
Houseful is already delivering against the majority of these pledges and will also be investigating how it can provide employment and training opportunities for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the coming months.
In addition to this, Houseful employees have also raised over £189,500 for Crisis through a mixture of payroll giving, employee-led fundraising and large fundraising activities and volunteered 6,744 hours since the launch of its partnership with Crisis in 2022
Houseful has also launched a new charity partnership with Stonewall Housing, the leading national charity supporting LGBTQ+ people of all ages who live in the UK and are experiencing homelessness or living in an unsafe environment.
This group is disproportionately affected by homelessness, with LGBTQ+ individuals accounting for at least 20% of the young homeless population, despite only 6.6% of the population identifying as LGBTQ+. The partnership will leverage Houseful’s resources, influence, and industry position to support Stonewall Housing’s mission.
Houseful employees, including its HouseProud employee network group, which is dedicated to celebrating and supporting Houseful’s LGBTQ+ community, will also support Stonewall Housing through volunteering, coaching and skills-sharing opportunities, helping them accelerate towards their goals faster.
Commenting on the news, Charlie Bryant, CEO of Houseful said: “Through our range of well-known residential property brands and strong consumer presence, Houseful is uniquely positioned to drive forward the mission to end homelessness.
“Welcoming Stonewall Housing as a charity partner and signing the Crisis Covenant for Employers underscores our commitment to addressing both the symptoms and underlying causes of homelessness.
“We look forward to supporting both organisations with their strategic goals in the months and years ahead.”
Matt Downie, Chief Executive at Crisis said: “We are delighted that Houseful have signed up to the Homelessness Covenant and are joining other leading organisations who are taking a stand against homelessness.
“We know that a safe and settled home is the foundation we need to be able to thrive in our workplace. But right now, far too many people are facing the challenge of trying to hold down a job while sleeping on a friend’s sofa or spending months trapped in temporary accommodation.
“By signing the Covenant businesses like Houseful are ensuring that their employees can get vital help and support should they face homelessness and for that we’re extremely grateful.
“We hope that other businesses follow Houseful’s suit and sign up to the Covenant so that we can create a society where homelessness doesn’t exist.”
Steven McIntyre, CEO of Stonewall Housing said: “People in our communities often become homeless simply because of who they are. Every single day LGBTQ+ people are kicked out of their homes for coming out and we are determined to do everything we can to help.
“Our new partnership with Houseful opens up so many opportunities to spread awareness of the issue, open referral pathways to our life changing services and influence policy makers and commissioners to ensure more funding is available to meet the level of need.
“I am particularly looking forward to working with the HouseProud employee network group to make a real and lasting change for LGBTQ+ people across the UK.”
Share:
