Homelessness Sunday is held on the Sunday before World Homeless Day, and is hosted by the ecumenical charity Housing Justice.
The aim is to raise awareness of the issues surrounding homelessness among churches and their congregations by asking churches to run their own Homelessness Sunday Service, either on 4 October or on a more convenient date.
The 2026 theme is ‘Community Cohesion’.
The Chair of Trustees for Housing Justice and the CEO of Church Urban Fund, Rt Rev Rob Wickham, said: “In an age when there is much talk of hatred, division and distrust of the unknown, we must remember that love and welcome for the alien and stranger are key to the Christian narrative, and an understanding of God’s Kingdom. Our calling is to build an inclusive community for everyone, and not just those who look or sound like me.”
Get the free resources for Homelessness Sunday. These include intergenerational service resources, prayers, hymns and a reflection from Bishop Rob.
On Sunday 4 October, from 9 am, there will be a pre-recorded Homelessness Sunday service available on the Church of England ‘Church Online’ channel.
More ways to help if you’re inspired by Homelessness Sunday
- Consider volunteering at a local night shelter, soup kitchen or community project such as Citadel. There will likely be a number of organisations in your area looking for volunteers, and if you can’t find one and believe there is a need, could your church consider opening its doors to provide food or a bed for someone experiencing homelessness?
- Consider hosting someone seeking sanctuary and at risk of homelessness in your spare room. Housing Justice runs Hosting Projects in London and Wales and is always looking for new hosts to open their homes in a supported way. If you are outside of the areas in which we operate, there are a number of other charities that run hosting programmes which you will be able to find online.
- Consider renting out your room to a newly granted refugee for a period of six months through Housing Justice’s Refugee Lodgings Project.
Housing Justice is a Charity and Network in Association with Churches Together in England.