World Homeless Day 2026: Why a housing association established a homelessness charity and why it works

On World Homeless Day 2026, Hopestead is proudly celebrating its sixth birthday. It is a moment to reflect on what has been achieved, but also to consider the reasons why a housing association established a separate, independent charity to tackle homelessness.

Whilst not unique, it is unusual. Housing associations provide homes and community support, and many like BFL also build housing to tackle housing shortages. However, the housing crisis and the homelessness crisis, while inseparable, are not identical and require different approaches. Safe, affordable housing is a fundamental right. Yet the things that shape homelessness, like poverty, unemployment, ill health, domestic abuse, gaps in support and more, undermine that right. All it takes is one of those and housing becomes unstable.  

For someone moving on from homelessness, a set of keys is a major milestone, but it is not the end of the journey. An empty property may still need a bed, cooker, flooring, curtains, white goods and other everyday essentials before it feels like a home. People may also need help to manage bills and benefits, access health or employment services, rebuild confidence and relationships, connect with their community, and establish the routines that support a tenancy. Without practical, financial and personalised long-term support, the pressures that contributed to the homelessness can cause it to return.

Flagship, now part of Bromford Flagship LiveWest (BFL), recognised that distinction when it established Hopestead in 2020. BFL brings the reach, resources, expertise and stability of a major housing provider, giving Hopestead access to knowledge, networks and opportunities that would be difficult for a small charity to develop alone. As an independent registered charity, Hopestead can focus on prevention, practical support, partnership and advocacy, while also attracting grants, donations and partnerships that bring additional funding, skills and influence into communities. Together, we combine BFL's scale and credibility with Hopestead's independence and flexibility, enabling us to respond to need, work across organisational boundaries and create opportunities for people to thrive.

Projects like Netherwood Green in Norwich show what this looks like in practice. A derelict garage site transformed into 12 self-contained one-bedroom flats for people ready to move on from hostel accommodation and take their next steps towards independence. The scheme was possible because each organisation contributed what it was best placed to offer. Norwich City Council gifted the site for homelessness accommodation. Flagship Homes oversaw the development on a pro-bono basis and secured Homes England funding. St Martins Housing Trust contributed most of the remaining project costs and now provides ongoing support to residents. Hopestead helped bridge funding gaps and supplied each home with furniture and essential household items through Hope at Home. Each person who moves into a Netherwood Green flat also frees a hostel space for someone else who needs it.

No single partner could have delivered that outcome alone and is a strong example of what the BFL–Hopestead relationship enables: BFL offers scale, technical knowledge and established networks, while Hopestead can convene partners, attract additional resources and remain focused on the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

We are one part of the national effort to solve the ever-growing homelessness crisis. That will take many more social and genuinely affordable homes, welfare support that reflects the real cost of renting, properly resourced councils and frontline services, and decisions shaped by people with lived experience. But a safe home is only the beginning: lasting change also requires early intervention, financial stability and flexible, trauma-informed support that helps people settle, recover and thrive. We welcome recent steps that recognise accommodation and support must work together, but short-term funding cannot resolve a long-term structural crisis. Success must reach beyond visible rough sleeping to everyone without a safe place to call home, backed by long-term investment, clear accountability and strong local partnerships.

Our sixth birthday is a moment to celebrate what this partnership has made possible and to be ambitious about what comes next. The question is no longer why a housing association would establish a homelessness charity; it is what more the housing sector could achieve by using its assets, expertise and partnerships in similarly ambitious ways.

Everyone deserves a place to call home and the chance to thrive.