Shelter Advert

• Shelter is a registered charity that campaigns to end homelessness and bad housing in England and Scotland. It gives advice, information and advocacy to people in need, and tackles the root causes of bad housing by lobbying government and local authorities for new laws and policies to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people. It works in partnership with Shelter Cymru in Wales and the Housing Rights Service in Northern Ireland
• Shelter helps people in housing need by providing advice and practical assistance, and fights for better investment in housing and for laws and policies to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people
• Founded 1st December 1966
• For the year ended March 2017 (England)
  
  • Total incoming resources: £60,902,000
  • Fundraising costs: £18,852,000
  • Total cost of charitable activities: £44,022,000
• Founder is Bruce Kenrick
• Sources of funding
• • Donations and legacies 54%
  • Housing advice and support services 29%
  • Shelter shops 14%
  • Training and publications 2%
  • Other 1%

• Our vision

  Shelter believes that everybody needs a home in a place they can thrive. Our work won’t stop until there’s a home for everyone.
  
  
  

  Our values

  Shelter has three core values that drive all our work:
  

  We’re approachable

  Shelter is a lifeline for anyone who is homeless or suffering in bad housing. If you’re faced with losing your home, we’ll do everything we can to help you keep a secure roof over your head.
  Face-to-face, on the phone and by email, we’re committed to giving expert, confidential advice and support, tailored to the individual.
  

  We challenge

  Home is a basic human need. In our affluent nation, everyone should have a home, and Shelter is challenging the people in power to make that vision a reality, through tenacious lobbying, persuasive research and policy reports, and high-profile public campaigns.
  Shelter is fighting injustice, and righting housing wrongs – and we’re achieving real, positive changes that will benefit generations to come.
  

  We’re enterprising

  Shelter strives to get the most out of every penny it spends. We’re proud to join forces with like-minded organisations, to share our ideas, and develop creative ways of tackling housing need.
  The housing crisis is changing, and we must change with it. Shelter services identify and respond to demand, targeting support to those who need it in the most effective way.
  

  Our core activity

  Delivering advice services

  During 2009/10, we gave advice and support to more than 84,000 people, and we had more than one million visits to our Get Advice web pages.
  Many of the people we help are homeless or at immediate risk of losing their home. Many more approach us with a multitude of housing-related needs, such as dealing with unscrupulous landlords, getting repairs made to run-down properties, or coping with neighbourhood strife.
  People also come to Shelter because of other problems that affect their housing situation. We advise on coping with debt, claiming welfare benefit, and accessing appropriate care.
  

  Influencing change

  Shelter understands that helping individuals with immediate problems is not a long-term solution to the housing crisis. We lobby for improved rights of access to housing, and for more affordable housing.
  We also campaign to raise awareness of housing issues – such as the impact of poor housing on children – so that we can influence government policy and legislation.
  We can prove that lobbying and campaigning results in real, lasting change that benefits many thousands of people.
  

  Virtuous circle

  Shelter’s services and campaigns are mutually beneficial. Our services deliver tangible proof of the positive impact of our projects and advice provision. We use this evidence to give Shelter an authoritative voice in the housing debate, influencing policy, practice and wider government-funded services.
  It’s a virtuous circle: our services inform our ability to deliver effective, targeted campaigns, while making an immediate, positive difference to the lives of individuals.

First launched: 1 December 1966
Target audience: Homeless people and possible donors

Households found to be homeless, by region

Region	Number of Households 2013/14
East Midlands	5,440
East of England	7,864
London	24,543
North East	2,912
North West	7,907
South East	10,021
South West	4,745
West Midlands	11,901
Yorkshire and the Humber	6,663
England	81,880

Homeless households accepted as homeless and in priority need, by region

Region	Total 2013/14	Of which: Households with dependent children
East Midlands	3599	2423
East of England	5717	3500
London	17048	13034
North East	1523	928
North West	3515	1832
South East	6053	4190
South West	3287	2185
West Midlands	8016	5851
Yorkshire and the Humber	3478	1849
England	52270	33960

England - Main recorded reason for loss of last settled accommodation (ranked by size of single reason)

Reason	Number of accepted households, 2013/14	% of total
End of assured shorthold tenancy	13,650	26%
Parents no longer able to accommodate	8,520	16%
Friends/ other relatives unable to accommodate	6,660	13%
Relationship breakdown with a partner: Violent	6,130	12%
Loss of other rented accommodation or tied housing	3,040	6%
Relationship breakdown with a partner: Other	2,550	5%
Rent arrears	1,740	3%
Mortgage arrears (repossession or other loss of mortgaged home)	990	2%
Other reasons	2,550	5%
Total	52,270	100%

For the year ended March 2017 (England)

• Total incoming resources: £60,902,000
• Fundraising costs: £18,852,000
• Total cost of charitable activities: £44,022,000

Sources of funding

• Donations and legacies 54%
• Housing advice and support services 29%
• Shelter shops 14%
• Training and publications 2%
• Other 1%

Competitors: The Salvation Army, Crisis and Help the homeless

Rebranding 2003 -

Shelter is attempting to shift its presentation of homelessness following research showing that public perception of homelessness is out of step with reality.Homelessness charities emphasised street living during the 90s, but since then the number of people on the streets has dropped. Instead, record numbers are now living in temporary accommodation and poor housing.However, the public still thinks of homelessness largely in terms of rough sleepers."We take our share of the responsibility for the way that we have communicated the issues," said Ben Jackson, director of external affairs at Shelter."There is a temptation to play to the existing stereotype, but we want to move the public's perception forward."The rebrand will be co-ordinated by specialist advertising agency Hooper Galton.The new initiative is part of a major overhaul of Shelter's identity and communications strategy.