Become a Home from Home host

Have a spare room? Join us in making a lasting difference in the lives of those in need by becoming a part of our Home from Home hosting programme today. Together, we can build a stronger, more supported community for everyone.

What is Home from Home?

C4WS Homeless Project provides support and assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness in our community. Launched in 2017, our Home from Home hosting programme extends the support we provide to people experiencing homelessness.

Volunteers with spare bedrooms provide these to guests from our night shelter for a short-term period while they’re waiting to move into accommodation.

We understand the need for stable and secure housing for individuals navigating transitional periods in their lives. Home from Home provides a warm, inclusive, and supported environment for individuals in need of short-term respite while our Welfare Team diligently sources accommodation for them.

Why become a host?

By opening your spare room to guests of C4WS, you’re directly contributing to making a tangible and affirmative impact in someone's life, ultimately helping them get back on their feet.

The experience of hosting can also be incredibly rewarding, providing the opportunity to connect with someone new, experience different cultures, and actively play a vital role in empowering individuals to rebuild their lives.

Who is the schemed aimed at?

The scheme is aimed at those in our shelter whose housing needs are hard to address within the standard 28 day stay.

Guests may include:

  • Guests who have secured a job but need time to save for a deposit to move into the private rented sector

  • Guests waiting for secured housing

  • Asylum seekers needing temporary housing during the process of their case

  • Guests who have secured a new home but need interim accommodation until their move-in date

How does it work?

  • We ask hosts for a minimum commitment of two weeks

  • All hosting placements will have an agreed trial period to see how both parties settle in

  • The C4WS welfare team supports volunteer hosts and guests throughout the process are supported throughout the process

  • C4WS will also provide a subsistence grant to the guest and can help with travel costs, if appropriate

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer host for the Home from Home program or need further information about hosting, reach out to our Welfare Coordinator Curd at nikki@c4wshomelessproject.org. Our team will provide full support and guidance throughout the hosting process.

Stories

Click the images to read about how the difference Home from Home has made to people’s lives.

Impact

We launched Home From Home as a pilot project in our 2017/2018 winter night shelter. Home From Home has facilitated 20 placements to date, which has seen 100% of guests engaging with Home From Home successfully obtaining and maintaining their new homes.

Testimonies

Our volunteer hosts have shared their rewarding experiences with us. They have enjoyed getting to know their guests and the fulfilling feeling of supporting them during their transitional period.

  • “We found Gavin to be a very pleasant guest. He was ready to help in any way he could and was sensitive to our way of life. We were glad for him that with C4WS’s help he found accommodation of his own, but we missed him when he left!”

  • “To Anne, my wonderful host as part of Home from Home… in Spanish we say ‘arropar’, which loosley translated means bringing people together, or to embrace, and that’s what I felt from your kindness and warmth. I was glad to be there for you, as much as you were there for me, as we came through our own challenges thanks to each other’s support.”

  • “Lily moved out today, having been able to sort out a lot in her new accommodation over the weekend. She seemed positive and I hope that she is now firmly on an upward trajectory and gaining in confidence.”

  • “We’ve now hosted a couple times and found it to be a fantastic scheme. Well organised, managed efficiently and incredibly enriching for our household.”

  • “It was my best day ever in London. Thank you and thank you for presenting me to my hosts. They are awesome. What we did made me completely happy. Thanks a lot.”

This programme has been financially supported by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).