Impact Forum

Jon Fuller

Dr Lígia Teixeira, CEO, Centre for Homelessness Impact

For most people who experience homelessness, support is available even if it can be difficult to access. But what happens when that support isn’t available and there is nowhere left to turn?

Bonnie Williams, Director of Housing Justice Cymru (Chair), Sharon Thompson, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Praxis, Elaine Cameron, Chief Executive of Refugee Survival Trust, Karen Ferguson, Operations Manager at Connection Support, Kuda Maramba, speaker with lived experience

A brief speech from Andy Street, followed by questions from Chloe Deakin, Birmingham local and producer with a passion for community

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands

Surfing Sofas is a writer from London, who uses his work to break the stigmas based around homelessness and raise awareness of the homeless crisis in the UK. Join us to hear some of his latest poetry.

Surfing Sofas

When it comes to our health, prevention is far better than cure. This session will focus on how we can remove the current barriers people experiencing homelessness face when trying to access healthcare, and why early intervention is often not an option.

Dr Regina Olasin, Chief Medical Officer at Care for the Homeless, Leanna Fairfax, speaker with lived experience, Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE, Deputy Mayor and Councillor at Oldham council and Founder of Homeless Friendly

This year has seen the cost of living soar, with inflation reaching its highest peak since 1992, affecting the affordability of goods and services for households. These increases are hitting marginalised communities the hardest – what does this mean for people already at risk of homelessness?

Jules Oldham, Director of Policy at Policy Scotland (Chair), Christy Acton, Founder and CEO of Standing Tall, Ben Pearson - Anti poverty Campaigner, Matthew Green, Director of Crisis Skylight, Birmingham,

Hear directly from Eddie Hughes MP on his plans for a future where rough sleeping is rare, brief and non-recurring, discussing the progress the UK Government is making on eradicating rough sleeping and what the next steps - and timetable - will be thereafter as well as reflections on the outcome of the Midlands Voluntary Right to Buy pilot. Followed by a Q&A with Ligia Teixeira, CEO of the Centre for Homelessness Impact.

Eddie Hughes, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rough Sleeping and Housing and Dr Lígia Teixeira, CEO, Centre for Homelessness Impact

In this session we will explore how we can ensure people leaving prison have both safe accommodation and immediate access to services, and what role this plays in reducing reoffending.

Rosie Reynolds, Practice and Partnerships Lead at Centre for Homelessness Impact (Chair),Dalton Harrison, Trans and prisoner rights activist, poet with lived experience, Paula Harriott at Prison Reform Trust, Lorna Griffiths, Pre-Release Coordinator, The Nelson Trust

Watch a performance from the Choir with No Name, who have been successfully running choirs and building joyful communities with homeless and marginalised people since 2008.

Choir with No Name

In our efforts to end homelessness for good, how can we do things differently so that everyone is on equal footing? What can we learn from race- and culturally-specific solutions to tackle homelessness in the US and Canada?

Amanda Misiko Andere, CEO, Funders Together (Chair), Joy Moses, Director of the Homeless Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Joyce Juma-Phiri, CEO of Fair Trade Scotland, Gabriel Imevbore, Lived Experience Expert and Trustee for YMCA Heart of England

Dr Lígia Teixeira, CEO, Centre for Homelessness Impact

Watch a performance from the Choir with No Name, who have been successfully running choirs and building joyful communities with homeless and marginalised people since 2008.

Choir with No Name