About

About the Cambridge Homelessness Charter

A city-wide commitment amongst charities, organisations and individuals to work together to prevent and reduce homelessness in Cambridge.

Our shared aim is to make homelessness and rough sleeping rare, brief and non-recurring, and to ensure Cambridge is a city where no-one is forced to sleep rough and everyone has somewhere to call home.

While rough sleeping is the most visible, homelessness in Cambridge also includes sofa surfing, living in cars or squats, insecure private renting, and people living in emergency or temporary accommodation at constant risk of losing their home. The Charter exists to address this with the support of a more joined-up, long-term approach to tackling Cambridge homelessness.

Who are we?

The people behind the Charter

The Cambridge Homelessness Charter is facilitated by It Takes A City (Cambridge), working in partnership with organisations and individuals across the city.

Our purpose

Vision and mission

Our vision

A Cambridge where everyone has access to safe, secure housing and the support they need to thrive.

Our mission

To support a collaborative Cambridge homelessness strategy by:

  • Encouraging shared responsibility across sectors
  • Amplifying what works and learning from those with lived experience of homelessness
  • Supporting earlier intervention and prevention
  • Shifting public understanding of homelessness away from stereotypes

The framework

Our six pillars of change

The Charter is made up of and guided by six pillar working groups that address both the causes and impacts of Cambridge homelessness.

Data Research

Knowing what is needed and what works, including upstream measures.

Information

Keeping everyone informed on actions, progress and how to help.

Housing

Ensuring sufficient emergency, temporary, supported and permanent housing.

Support

Building trust and collaboration in wrap-around support.

Health

Ensuring sufficient health services and eliminating barriers to accessing them.

Employment

Providing job opportunities, careers advice and training.

Why this matters now

The tip of an iceberg we cannot yet measure

Homelessness in Cambridge is shaped by rising housing costs, insecure employment, pressure on public services and a shortage of affordable housing. Rough sleeping is only the tip of the iceberg, and many more people, including young people, experience hidden forms of homelessness such as sofa surfing or insecure temporary accommodation.

We recognise that particular groups experience homelessness with particular needs, including women, young people, ex-service people and ex-offenders. Lasting change requires collaboration and long-term thinking, focusing our attention on prevention rather than only crisis response.

Our story

The history of the Charter

The Cambridge Homelessness Charter is a movement, hosted by It Takes A City (Cambridge), consisting of many stakeholders with the common goal of ending homelessness in Cambridge. It emerged from a shared recognition that, despite the efforts of many organisations and services across the city, homelessness could not be solved by individual organisations acting alone.

The Charter was created to provide a collaborative framework that brings together organisations, institutions, businesses and individuals to align action, share learning and strengthen collective impact.

Be part of it

Could you help end homelessness in Cambridge?

Add your organisation or your name to a growing movement working together for lasting change.