Employers across Britain invited to join growing alliance of companies committed to ending homelessness

• Crisis invites more forward-thinking employers to sign up to the Homelessness Alliance, as figures for England show that in 2024/25 more than 70,000 households where someone is in work were experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness
  
• At an event celebrating the initiative’s two-year anniversary, a range of businesses including Specsavers, Half the Story LLP and Amplify Goods are recognised for their social impact

Crisis, the national homelessness charity, is encouraging like-minded employers around Britain to join a growing, first-of-its-kind coalition of companies committed to supporting workers experiencing or threatened with homelessness.

To mark its second year, the Homelessness Alliance — founded by Crisis alongside partners including the UK government — is announcing a significant increase in the number of companies signed up.

But there is still much more to do.

To-date 73 businesses including Lloyds Banking Group, Amazon, Reed in Partnership and Roadchef have signed up to a set of pledges to support people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness in the workplace. With the support of such organisations, 1.25 million employees across Britain are now covered by their employer’s commitments.

Since joining the Alliance, several employers have reported that colleagues have come forward to say that they are currently experiencing homelessness. Businesses are looking at their employment and recruitment practices and making changes. The Alliance is facilitating contact between businesses and to-date has supported more than 30 people into work.

At an event hosted by Lloyds Banking Group to celebrate the second anniversary of the Alliance, Allies including Hays Recruitment, Watches of Switzerland Group and Thames Water came together to share best-practice and to celebrate outstanding contributions.

For the first time, achievement awards were given to businesses under the following categories:

• Opening Doors award: For outstanding work in opening up job and training opportunities to people affected by homelessness
  
  Winner:  Amplify Goods for providing living-wage work experience to people facing barriers to employment, including homelessness and disability.

• Barrier Breaker Award: For driving meaningful changes to recruitment and workplace practices to reduce barriers and support retention
  
  Winner: Half the Story LLP for taking a holistic approach to the employment and retention of people with experience of homelessness, including providing mentoring and signposting to services that support with housing and debt advice.
   
• Community Catalyst Award: For impactful awareness-raising, volunteering, fundraising or partnership activity within communities
  
  Winner: Specsavers for running pop-up clinics in homelessness services offering free eye and hearing care to people who face multiple barriers accessing mainstream healthcare services.

Figures for England show that in 2024/25, 73,040 households that include one or more people in either full or part time work sought help from their local council because they were experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. [1]

This is against a backdrop of rising homelessness across Britain. There are now record numbers of households (132,410) in temporary accommodation. Crisis reports that their frontline services regularly support people who are hidden homeless and sleeping in cars, on public transport or sofa-surfing before heading off to a full day at work. [2]

Crisis is inviting more businesses to sign up to improve their understanding of homelessness and more proactively support employees who may be facing it.

Homelessness is an under-represented and frequently misunderstood element of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work for employers. Research from Crisis in 2021 found that employer attitudes towards homelessness are often concerning, with over two fifths of employers (42%) saying it was likely their organisation would seek to terminate an employee’s contract if they were homeless. [3]

By joining the Alliance, employers can develop their understanding of homelessness, and better identify and support their employees who may be at risk of, or are currently experiencing, homelessness. Employers also pledge to provide employment and training opportunities for people at risk of homelessness, adopt fairer recruitment practices, and help to end homelessness in their communities through fundraising, raising awareness, partnerships and volunteering.

The Homelessness Alliance (previously the Homelessness Covenant) was developed by national homelessness charity Crisis in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the then Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG).

Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “Homeless isn’t just rough sleeping. There are tens of thousands of households across Britain trapped in temporary accommodation. There are thousands sleeping in cars, buses or on friend’s sofas. The challenges many people face when trying to access or maintain stable employment can be overwhelming and so its vital employers are alert to this.

“It’s great to see the Homelessness Alliance growing at pace and the impact of employers coming together to collaborate and share best-practice. With a combined reach of over 1.25 million employees there’s such potential in creating a visible, committed network of employers determined to help end homelessness.

“We’re inviting more forward-thinking businesses to join the Alliance and to work with others to tackle homelessness within and outside their organisations.” 

Philippa Jackson, Executive Director of Human Resources at Watches of Switzerland Group, said: “We’re really proud to be members of the Homelessness Alliance and to help fund this important work. Since becoming an ally we’ve taken steps to provide employment and learning opportunities for two new colleagues this year who have both experienced homelessness. 

“Together with Crisis, we are working to end homelessness, and we encourage other organisations to join the Alliance and support more people to rebuild their lives and leave homelessness behind for good.”

Notes to Editor

References 

[1] Homelessness statistics - GOV.UK

[2] Statutory Homelessness in England: April to June 2025 – GOV.UK

[3] Barely Breaking Even: The experiences and impact of in-work homelessness across Britain Crisis 2021