Spring Forward: Providing Shelter Beyond The Winter

As we move through spring, it’s important to reflect on the realities faced by those who have spent the colder months without a safe place to stay. While winter highlights the urgent need for night shelters, their role extends far beyond the coldest time of the year, providing life changing stability and support for our clients working towards more secure and independent futures. 

What is a night shelter?

Night shelters are a form of temporary accommodation for people who are rough sleeping, often opening during the winter months to provide short-term respite. Many are communal, with numerous guests sleeping in the same room. They often operate on a ‘roving’ basis, moving between different locations each night. Shelters also follow strict routines, requiring individuals to arrive at a set time in the evening or risk losing their place, and to leave again early in the morning. While this system allows shelters to manage demand and offer emergency support it can also be challenging for the individual staying there, as people with evolving needs must fit around fixed schedules and face uncertainty about where they will be from one night to the next. Most also have nowhere to go during the day.  

Our night shelter service operates on a 24/7 basis

No recourse to public funds (NRPF) and rough sleeping

At APAP we work with a wide range of clients, many of whom face multiple issues. A significant number are rough sleeping due to their immigration status. This can mean that they have no right to rent, work or access public funds in the UK – leaving them with very limited options.  

Councils are prevented by law from providing mainstream housing support group, so they are at high risk of becoming street homeless if they lose their home. The proportion of people sleeping rough who have NRPF is not comprehensively recorded as official data focuses on nationality, however CHAIN data shows that last year across London over half of rough sleepers were non-UK nationals, with some councils reporting that two thirds of their rough sleepers are non-British. Figures suggest that over half of these have insecure immigration status (CHAIN 2024/25). Further complicating this picture are the long and complex routes to regularising immigration status. Cuts to legal aid have made finding legal representation near impossible. Even if someone is able to submit an application to regularise their status, they face long waits for the Home Office to process their application.  

During this time Councils are unable to support this vulnerable group – often resulting in long-term homelessness and a huge personal cost for the individuals caught in limbo, experiencing the worst kinds of poverty and homelessness.  

APAP's Enfield night shelter in John Wilkes House

APAP's night shelter

As a charity, APAP is not restricted as to who we can support and so we focus on filling this gap in services. Our night shelter supports the most vulnerable clients who are excluded from mainstream services. We currently offer 7 bedspaces across Enfield and Haringey. Our clients can stay here temporarily while we carry out intensive casework to resolve their homelessness. This focused support gives them the opportunity to resolve their immigration status and move towards more stable and secure living conditions.

APAP works with specialist immigration advice charity Refugee and Migrant Justice who provide immigration advice and representation. These clients typically require intensive support to gather documentation in support of their application to the Home Office, or example, evidence of how long they have been living in the UK. For someone who is street homeless and has lost all their possessions and documentation, this can be a complex process.  

Unlike many other night shelters our service operates on a 24/7 basis, meaning there is no limit to how long someone can stay. This flexibility is especially important during what is often a highly stressful and uncertain period, as having a stable place to sleep and rest enables clients to focus more effectively on gathering the necessary documentation and engaging with their casework. 

APAP's support is tailored to each individual, addressing not only their immediate housing needs but also any underlying issues

Supporting our clients through casework

I meet with my clients once a week during an allocated time, where we sit together to locate any documentation they may have to support their case. We communicate with their immigration adviser, who provides guidance on what evidence is necessary - typically including bank statements, medical records, and payslips. As these documents often need to go back many years, the process can be time consuming and requires a collaborative, team-based approach. Alongside this, I check in with clients to assess any additional needs and ensure they are connected with appropriate support services where necessary. 

A holistic and person-centred approach

Our night shelter exists not only to provide a safe and stable place to stay, but also to offer consistency and reassurance to clients. Having a familiar and friendly face regularly checking in and ensuring they are supported has a positive impact on their wellbeing.

Once clients receive a positive decision from the Home Office, I continue to support them through the next steps including ensuring their E-Visa is set up and functioning correctly, assisting them in applying for Universal Credit, and helping them move into suitable accommodation, whether that be in the private rented sector or supported housing, depending on their individual needs.  

This reflects APAP’s holistic and person-centred approach, where support is tailored to each individual, addressing not only their immediate housing needs but also any underlying issues, to help them achieve long-term stability and independence. 

Whilst night shelters are often used as a short-term solution, at APAP our night shelter provides a safety net for as long as it is needed. Working in tandem with our day centre service, it provides our  clients with the right support to rebuild their stability and work towards a more secure future.  

Andrea Doost, Project Worker & Night Shelter Lead at APAP