As we reach the one-year anniversary of the Rural Homelessness Counts Coalition during Rural Housing Week, we want to reaffirm our collective dedication to ending rural homelessness. As a member of the Rural Homelessness Counts Coalition, this milestone offers an opportunity to strengthen our commitment.

Our focus has been on making rural homelessness a priority through various initiatives and collaborations. Here are some of our recent efforts:

New Collection of Images and Stories: In collaboration with the Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI), we are developing a new collection of images and stories of rural homelessness, set to launch by autumn.

Rural Rough Sleeping Guide: We are supporting the roll-out and awareness of our rural rough sleeping guide with the Local Government Association (LGA), presenting it at various conferences and webinars.

Feasibility Study on Rural Housing First: We are progressing our feasibility study into rural Housing First in partnership with Commonweal Housing and Porchlight, due to launch by autumn.

Joining the New Rural Homelessness Community of Practice

In partnership, Homeless Link and English Rural are launching a six-part Community of Practice series supported by the coalition. This series aims to create a reflective space for those working to tackle rural homelessness and rough sleeping, fostering the exchange of challenges, best practices, and innovative solutions. Participants will include:

- Homelessness service delivery organisations
- Housing associations
- Local authorities
- Voluntary groups
- Rural Housing Enablers

The series will feature six sessions over the next six months. The first two sessions in July and September will be open forums to identify pressing needs. The remaining sessions will focus on these identified topics, featuring speakers and practice development discussions. Resources developed from these sessions will support local efforts to end rural homelessness.

Join the first session on 19th July (11am-12:30pm), sign up details can be found HERE.

Restating Our Collective Commitment One Year On

Rural Housing Week marks one year since we committed to ending rural homelessness. We invite you to become a public supporter of the coalition or share information about our new rural community of practice, established in partnership with Homeless Link.

Become a Public Member: If you haven't already, review this document and consider adding your organisation’s name and logo to the coalition.

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can make a significant impact on ending homelessness in rural communities.

The Rural Services Network is part of the Rural Homelessness Counts Coalition. In the ‘Winning the Rural Vote’ campaign, the RSN calls for a national homelessness strategy that includes investing in solutions in rural areas, taking into account the distinct challenges of rural communities.