Working together to end homelessness

Preventing and addressing homelessness is a shared responsibility. It requires coordinated action across housing, health, social care, community safety, the voluntary and community sector, faith groups, businesses and people with lived experience. In Reading, these organisations work together to prevent homelessness, reduce rough sleeping and support residents to achieve greater housing stability and wellbeing.

Reading Homelessness Partnership (HoP)

The Reading Homelessness Partnership (HoP) brings together organisations from across Reading that share a commitment to preventing homelessness, reducing rough sleeping and improving outcomes for people experiencing housing insecurity.

The partnership provides an opportunity for members to discuss emerging challenges, share good practice and strengthen collaboration across local services. Partners work collectively to improve access to accommodation, support, health services and wider opportunities that help people achieve long-term stability. Members help inform strategic discussions, identify service gaps and coordinate responses to emerging issues affecting people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

Active participation includes Reading Borough Council services, including Housing Needs, Adult Social Care, Public Health and Community Safety, alongside organisations from the health, housing, voluntary, community and faith sectors, including:

• Change Grow Live
• CIRDIC
• Citizens Advice Reading
• Communicare
• Connect Reading
• FAITH Christian Group
• HM Prison and Probation Service
• Hope into Action
• Ingeus
• Launchpad Reading
• New Beginnings
• NHS Health Outreach Liaison Team
• PACT (including Alana House)
• Refugee Support Group
• Shared Voice Reading
• St Mungo’s
• The Cowshed Reading
• The Mustard Tree (including RAHAB)
• The Salvation Army
• YMCA Reading

Membership reflects organisations currently engaged in partnership activity and regular attendance, and continues to evolve as new organisations become involved.

The partnership welcomes organisations with an interest in homelessness, housing insecurity, rough sleeping, inclusion and related support services. Whether you deliver frontline support, represent a community group, or have expertise that could contribute to improving support and opportunities for local residents, we would be pleased to hear from you.

To find out more about the Reading Homelessness Partnership or to express an interest in becoming a member and attending, please contact: access.panel@reading.gov.uk.

For further details about the many agencies supporting those who are homeless, rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness, please visit the Reading Services Guide.

Shared Voice Reading

Shared Voice Reading places lived experience at the heart of service development. It brings together people who have experienced homelessness, housing difficulties, rough sleeping, or have used drug and alcohol services, with local services and organisations. Working alongside the council, commissioned services and voluntary sector partners, Shared Voice Reading helps ensure that the experiences, insights and ideas of people who have used services inform how support is designed, delivered and improved.

The network provides a safe and supportive environment for people to share what is working well, identify opportunities for improvement and contribute to decisions that affect local services. Through co-production, members help shape services, policies and initiatives by sharing their experiences and perspectives. It also offers opportunities to connect with others, build confidence and help shape local services and support for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in Reading.

To find out more about Shared Voice Reading, please view the co-produced leaflet created by Shared Voice members, or to discuss opportunities to get involved please contact sharedvoicereading@launchpadreading.org.uk.

Together, these partnerships help ensure that local responses to homelessness are coordinated, informed and shaped by the knowledge, experience and expertise of people and organisations across Reading.