On 12 February, Stephen hosted a service at St Paul’s Cathedral, in collaboration with the charity Housing Justice, in thanksgiving for the work of homeless night shelters in response to the rise in rough sleeping in London.
The service brought together hundreds of night shelter volunteers, guests and those simply wishing to celebrate these shelters.
The congregation heard beautiful choral music, honest and powerful testimonies from the shelters, and a reflection from Rt Rev Rob Wickham, Bishop of Edmonton and Chair of Housing Justice. The Shadow Housing Minister John Healey was in attendance.
Stephen said: ‘Church-based homeless nightshelters are an astonishing response to the homelessness crisis. It was hugely important to be able to commemorate them.’
145 projects in the Housing Justice Winter Night Shelter Network provide more than 2000 emergency beds and welcome approximately 6000 guests each winter, making the network the largest provider of emergency accommodation in the country. There is now a shelter in every London borough.