Winter shelters

Every winter there are emergency winter shelters (or cold weather shelters) set up in many of the boroughs in London. They provide basic, temporary accommodation for people who might otherwise be sleeping on the streets during the winter months. Some open for just one week over Christmas, others are open for several months.

Most shelters are organised by local church groups and operate in a different church hall each night on a rota basis. The shelters are usually staffed by volunteers, offer basic accommodation in communal sleeping areas, and provide breakfast and an evening meal. There is not usually a charge for staying in the shelter.

The shelters start opening in November and are usually all closed by the end of March. Each winter we research information about all of the winter shelters in London and add their details to Homeless London as they open. In December we will publish a full listing of them and add it to this page.

More information on the issues around cold weather provision is available on Homeless Link's website.