Shelter launches ‘Work for Home’ week after emergency helpline receives almost 37,000 calls since lockdown

New figures show that Shelter’s free emergency helpline has received 36,667 calls for housing help since lockdown started on March 23 – with over a third from people already homeless.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, millions of employees have been able to safely work from home, swapping office desks for the kitchen table and a daily takeaway sandwich for leftovers. But before the pandemic, 280,000 people were homeless in England and more than 600,000 renting households were living in overcrowded and unfit homes.

For many of these people and families, lockdown is an even tougher and often unsafe experience, with living conditions that make following public health guidance or working from home incredibly hard.

Since 23 March, more than half of the calls answered by Shelter’s team of trained advisers have been directly related to coronavirus. 38% were from people already homeless, and almost a third (31%) were from those at risk of homelessness. The figures show that a safe home is not guaranteed for all of us during the COVID-19 crisis.

In response to the growing demand for its frontline services, Shelter is running the first ‘Work for Home’ week, from Monday 18 to Friday 22 May. By donating what would have been spent on a pre-lockdown daily coffee, lunches out or a train ticket, ‘work-from-homers’ can stand in solidarity with those experiencing homelessness or bad housing today.

Shelter helpline adviser Olivia Willie, 22, from Sheffield said: “The COVID-19 crisis is frightening for all of us. But a safe home gives some peace of mind. I’m lucky to be at home with my family, and I’ve been able to set up a home office so I can keep working to answer calls from people who are not as lucky as me.

“For those without a home or facing homelessness, the crisis has been a living nightmare. Like Carl*, who had been sleeping on the streets for 3 weeks and suffers from multiple complex health issues, like pancreatitis. I contacted the council and got him into emergency accommodation. Or Rishi*, a lodger whose live-in landlord was putting him at risk and frightening him by ignoring social distancing rules - and then threatened to evict him. I advised him on his rights and what his future options are.

“If, like me, you believe everyone should have a safe and secure home right now, please give to Shelter today. Work from home - for a home."

Andy Parnell, 40, another Shelter adviser, said: “Since the crisis started, we’ve heard all kinds of stories from all kinds of people facing terrible housing problems. Like Louise*, a heavily pregnant woman threatened with illegal eviction. And a group of medical students who were asked to work for the NHS to support the frontline, so could no longer live in their student accommodation. Their landlord refused to acknowledge the break clause in their contract that allowed them to end their tenancy early - and threatened them with court.

“Shelter has been able to support these people and keep them safe as the crisis goes on. With your backing, we can do even more. Work from home - and save somebody else’s.”

Case study: Sally* was sofa-surfing with her family at friend’s house, but it all became too much under lockdown and Sally realised they would have to leave. She called the Shelter helpline after the local council said they couldn’t help. She said:

“I went to the council, but they told me we weren’t priority, and we just had to stay sofa-surfing until after the COVID-19 situation was over. I called the Shelter helpline and spoke to Karen. Karen helped me straight away, she gave me a little bit of hope. She was really caring, and Shelter spoke to the council on our behalf, which I was grateful for. The council then got us emergency accommodation.”

Every penny raised by ‘Work for Home’ will go towards defending the right to a safe home, which is more urgent than ever. To donate, go to www.shelter.org.uk/workforhome.

How someone’s donation will help

• £4 for your favourite supermarket meal deal could pay for us to help someone facing homelessness through our webchat

• £10.75 for your weekly fix of ‘proper’ coffee could help someone who calls our emergency housing helpline

• £35 saved from your after-work socialising could help pay for specialist legal advice to help someone facing eviction