A citywide movement to make homelessness and rough sleeping in Cambridge rare, brief and non-recurring. It takes a city, and we all have a part to play.
It takes a city
The Cambridge Homelessness Charter is a collaborative movement hosted and facilitated by It Takes A City (Cambridge), which represents a broad group of stakeholders to make homelessness and rough sleeping rare, brief and non-recurring, with the ultimate aim of ending homelessness in Cambridge. We want to ensure Cambridge is a city where everybody has somewhere to call home.
Why do we need it?
It includes people sofa surfing, living in cars or squats, or at risk of losing temporary or insecure accommodation at short notice. In a city like Cambridge, recognised as dynamic and prosperous, we cannot rest easy while poverty rubs shoulders with such wealth.
People experiencing homelessness in the Cambridge area have an average life expectancy of just 47 for men and 43 for women. What causes homelessness is complex, often linking housing affordability, health challenges, family breakdown and insecure employment.
How we work
Vital work is already happening across the city by passionate organisations and individuals, yet no single organisation can solve homelessness alone. The Charter is made up of and guided by six pillar working groups addressing both the causes and impacts of Cambridge homelessness: data, information, housing, support, health and employment.
We are focused on collaboration and not duplication, connecting existing efforts and shifting the conversation around homelessness towards actions and long-term solutions.
My involvement with the Charter, and especially with the Employment Pillar, has enabled me to have a voice with service providers which is different to anything I have had before. This is not only improving my interactions with agencies, but also allowing me to have an influence which will benefit many others experiencing homelessness, both now and in the future.
Take action
actively help shape and deliver solutions by working with others across the city through shared initiatives and working groups.
Who's involved?
At the launch of this website the Collaboration Group had over 90 members representing more than 55 organisations, but this number is increasing all the time. Below are some of the collaborators working with us to shape the Charter. Will you join us?
News & updates
