We and our partners in Cambridge’s Street Outreach Team work to provide accommodation and support to single homeless and rough sleeping people.

This support includes meeting immediate needs. We provide free meals and washing facilities, and try to ensure everybody has somewhere warm to sleep.

It also includes building trusting relationships with repeat rough sleepers. This allows us to start to support them to move away from a street-based life, if or when they are ready to do so.

If you are homeless, we may have a legal duty to help you. Read our page about emergency homeless applications to find out more.

If you’re faced with sleeping rough in Cambridge, there are services that can support you.

• You may be eligible for our Single Homelessness Service
• If you have a local connection to the sub-region you may be able to access some of the hostels in the city or around the sub-region.
• Contact the Housing Advice Service or the Street Outreach Team for further information.
• If you're concerned for someone sleeping rough, or are sleeping rough yourself, call Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 or visit the StreetLink website.
• Our Team Around a Person service focuses on providing personalised plans to support rough sleepers in Cambridge, providing support with issues such as mental ill-health, or drug or alcohol dependency.

Organisations providing support and information for homeless people and those sleeping rough in Cambridge City

Street Outreach Team (01223 366 292) provide support and advice to help those who sleep or spend much of their time on the streets. The team can help people into accommodation and to address other problems.

Jimmy's Cambridge offers short-term, emergency accommodation for men and women who might otherwise have to sleep rough. In addition to a bedroom and meals, Jimmy’s provide a range of support and resettlement services.

Wintercomfort provides free breakfast, shower and laundry to those sleeping rough or unsuitably housed.  They also organise various activities including work placements, training and workshops, with trained staff able to advise and signpost to support services.

Centre 33 offers free and confidential services for young people in Cambridge and South and East Cambridgeshire. They can advise on a range of issues including housing and homelessness.

The Big Issue is an international organisation that works with homeless people all over the world. The Big Issue’s Cambridge office is located at Wintercomfort.

Emmaus Cambridge is a fully self-supporting community based in Landbeach. Companions live by the principle of helping others to live, grow and find dignity through sharing, work and self-respect.

Cambridge Salvation Army has a church, community centre and large charity shop. The community centre and charity shop can be found on Mill Road.

How you can help

If you see someone sleeping rough, you can inform the CGL (Change Grow Live) Street Outreach team on 01223 366292 or via Streetlink. You can also direct them to our team of advisers during our housing advice opening hours. In an out-of-hours housing emergency you can call us on 0330 053 8109.

If you see someone who is in need of immediate medical attention, call 999 or 111 (with option 2 for a mental health crisis).

Street Aid

There are many excellent charities in Cambridge who work with us to help people off the streets. One way you can help is by giving to Street Aid, a charitable fund that helps people who have experienced rough sleeping to access support, accommodation and employment.

You can donate on the Street Aid webpage, by text message, or at our contactless giving point at Mandela House, 4 Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1BY.