Nottingham homelessness charity Emmanuel House Support Centre has opened its Winter Shelter for its 19th year. From Monday 3rd November, the charity is offering short-term emergency accommodation for up to 30 people every night.
The Winter Shelter is the only free emergency accommodation project in the city and can be accessed by anyone over 18. This year it will cost the independent charity over £137,000 to run the project for six months.
Increase in homelessness in Nottingham and the UK
Staff are expecting another increase in referrals to its Winter Shelter, due to increasing numbers of people who are homeless across the city. According to official statistics released earlier this year from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the number of people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in England in autumn 2024 was 4,667. This has risen for the third year in a row, increasing 20% since 2023. In Nottingham, the most recent Nottingham city street count in October 2025 found 54 people sleeping rough in a single night.
Denis Tully, CEO at Emmanuel House, said:
“The Shelter is an important service in the winter months, providing emergency respite care and supporting people out of homelessness into suitable safe accommodation. While of course the service is beneficial to every person moving out of homelessness, it also contributes to reducing the number of people who are homeless in the city.”
Sleeping rough is the most visible sign of homelessness, and while addressing it is vital, tens of thousands of people who are homeless remain out of sight – sleeping on sofas, floors, or living in hostels, shelters, and B&Bs.
Last year in Nottingham there was an 8% increase in the number of homeless households; on average, 128 new homeless households seek support from the council every week, and the city currently has nearly 2,000 open homelessness cases, with around 700 families in emergency or temporary accommodation and over 450 single homeless people in supported accommodation [source].
How the Winter Shelter will operate this year
This year’s Winter Shelter will accommodate emergency night-time provision in a city centre location. Guests will be provided with somewhere safe and secure to sleep, as well as breakfasts and evening meals.
Emmanuel House’s Accommodation Team will work in partnership with external agencies to find people accommodation where they can live independently, alongside supporting them in accessing other services.
During the day, guests will be able to access Emmanuel House’s morning drop-in services at its day centre in Hockley. They will also be invited to take part in afternoon activities to reduce social isolation such as singing, games and wellbeing sessions, as well as access drop-in sessions with specialist external services such as the Homeless Health Team and the DWP. Guests will also have access to Emmanuel House’s mental health teams.
Since last year’s Winter Shelter closed in April 2025, Emmanuel House has been further developing its own portfolio of longer-term single-room accommodation provision. It is now able to offer guests longer-term accommodation from two properties – one in Nottingham and one in Broxtowe. These aim to support people into their own accommodation by teaching them essential skills needed for living in private-rented tenancies.
Please note – all guests require a referral to Emmanuel House’s Winter Shelter. If you are concerned about someone who is homeless, please get in touch with Framework’s Street Outreach Team.
How you can support the Winter Shelter
Donate to Emmanuel House – it costs us £753 a night to run the Winter Shelter service.
Volunteer to serve meals at the shelter – shifts are available Monday to Sunday from morning to evening.
Donate non-perishable food, sleeping bags or clothes – we regularly update our wish-list of most-needed items.
