Every night across England, thousands of young people at risk of homelessness are forced into unsafe places to sleep.
Yet analysis of 2021 Census data shows that around 68.8% of households have a spare room; that is more than 16 million homes. Spare rooms across the country could be the difference between crisis and safety for a young person with nowhere safe to go tonight.
Our Nightstop service provides short-term emergency accommodation by matching young people in crisis with volunteer hosts who offer a room in their own home.
Young people can become homeless for many reasons, including family breakdown, unsafe housing and financial pressures. Without access to safe emergency accommodation, they can be left with very limited options, including rough sleeping or unsafe situations.
All Nightstop hosts are carefully vetted and trained, and receive ongoing support from Depaul UK. Hosting is flexible, you choose when and how often you offer your room, making it something that can fit around work and family life.
You don’t need any specific experience: just a spare room and a willingness to help.
As Volunteers’ Week begins, we’re encouraging more people to consider becoming Nightstop hosts because a spare room can mean safety for a young person tonight.
Your spare room could be enough to prevent homelessness for a young person in crisis, and you’ll be supported by our team every step of the way.