Social Things · England
Housing and homelessness
If you have nowhere to sleep tonight, start here.
National helplines
Your council
Hours vary — ask for the out-of-hours team
The helplines on this page are shut. Your council's duty is not. If you have nowhere to sleep tonight they have a legal duty to help you, and it does not stop at 5pm or at weekends. Councils should have an out-of-hours number for exactly this — ring the council and ask for whoever handles homelessness out of hours.
Tell your council you're homeless (opens in a new tab)Also worth knowing
The Salvation Army
They don't publish their opening hours — worth trying, but don't count on it being answered.
The Salvation Army runs homelessness services across the UK, from drop-in centres to accommodation — their Lifehouses and night shelters. Their finder takes your postcode and shows the nearest one, with its address and phone number. It doesn't list opening hours, so ring before you set out.
Go to The Salvation Army (opens in a new tab)Checked on 17 July 2026 against their own page — The Salvation Army (opens in a new tab).
Shelter
0808 800 4444Closed now · Opens tomorrow at 8am
Covers England only.
Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm. Closed on bank holidays.
Free emergency advice if you're homeless, have nowhere to stay tonight, or are at risk of harm at home. Webchat runs alongside the phone line. Outside these hours your council still has a legal duty to help you.
Go to Shelter (opens in a new tab)Checked on 11 July 2026 against their own page — Shelter (opens in a new tab).
Different help, but often needed too
Crisis and Resilience Fund
Covers England only.
They don't publish their opening hours — worth trying, but don't count on it being answered.
Help from your local council with essential costs — energy and water bills, food, essential items and housing costs. You do not have to be getting benefits to ask, and a payment will not affect any benefits you do get. Councils decide how to run their own scheme, so start with yours — find it below.
Go to Crisis and Resilience Fund (opens in a new tab)Checked on 23 August 2026 against their own page — Crisis and Resilience Fund (opens in a new tab).
NEA Warm & Safe Homes advice
0800 304 7159Closed now · Opens tomorrow at 10am
Covers England and Wales only.
Mon–Thu, 10am–4pm. Fri, 10am–12:30pm. Closed on bank holidays.
National Energy Action's free advice line for people struggling with heating and energy bills — grants, tariffs, debt to your supplier, and keeping warm.
Go to NEA Warm & Safe Homes advice (opens in a new tab)Checked on 11 July 2026 against their own page — NEA Warm & Safe Homes advice (opens in a new tab).
What's nearby
Give us a postcode and we'll show you what's closest.
We know of housing and homelessness services across the UK — but “nearby” isn't a question we can answer without knowing where, and handing you a list of the whole country would help nobody.