When Angela Short first became involved in tackling homelessness in Bromley, the ambition was simple: to get people off the streets and provide them with a safe place to sleep. Seventeen years later, as a trustee of Bromley Homeless (BH), she has seen a small, volunteer-led night shelter grow into a much broader response to homelessness and the complex needs of the people it supports.
The journey began when local campaigner Sandy Greenfield challenged the council’s assertion that there were no homeless people in Bromley. She invited councillors to join her on a late-night walk to meet people sleeping rough. Local churches responded, providing buildings, volunteers and meals to establish a communal night shelter.
For Angela, the experience became much more than a short-term commitment.
“I think it’s to do with my faith, actually,” she reflects. “I have stayed in this arena over the years.”
She describes the work as a privilege, not least because of the people she has met along the way. The relationship is not simply about providing help: it is about mutuality, with people experiencing homelessness enriching the lives of those who support them, just as the charity hopes to enrich theirs.
A shelter that has evolved with changing needs
The arrival of COVID-19 forced Bromley Homeless to rethink its traditional communal night shelter. With support from the Night Shelter Transformation Fund, the charity developed its current provision: emergency accommodation offering five individual bedrooms.
For Angela, the change has brought something particularly important: dignity. Guests now have their own space while retaining the opportunity to come together for meals, conversation and companionship.
Those shared moments remain central to the charity’s approach. Around the dinner table, there are lively conversations, laughter and tears. Above all, Angela believes, the shelter has become a safe space where people feel able to share their experiences.
Over nearly two decades, she has also seen homelessness change locally. While substance misuse was more prominent among guests in the early days, mental health needs have become an increasingly significant challenge. The charity has also seen more women experiencing rough sleeping.
Bromley Homeless has also developed a great partnership with Bromley GP Alliance resulting in the service having access to a full-time, Advanced Nurse Practitioner specifically working with people experiencing homelessness across the borough and BH service users.
These changes reinforce the importance of looking beyond the immediate need for a bed and recognising the individual circumstances that can make finding a route out of homelessness more complicated.
Creating more routes out of homelessness
Providing emergency accommodation is only part of the challenge. BH aims to offer stays of around 28 days, although some people need longer to find a suitable alternative. Ensuring guests can move on to safe, sustainable accommodation is essential to making the shelter work for those who need it next.
This is where new support from the London Homelessness Foundation (LHF) will make a difference. LHF is awarding BH a grant of £35,000 a year for three years to employ a dedicated member of staff to develop move-on options in the private rented sector.
The new role will focus on building relationships with landlords and securing more housing opportunities for people leaving the shelter. It will also help BH revive its hosting scheme, which connects people experiencing homelessness with local residents willing to offer accommodation in their homes.
For Angela, this is a crucial next step. Having somewhere to move on to is vital, but so is finding the right support to help people settle and rebuild their lives. BHA is also keen to strengthen links with other organisations to help people maintain connections once they have found accommodation.
Working together for lasting change
Partnership has been central to BH’s development. The charity works closely with the local authority and other organisations, recognising that no single organisation can meet every need. Its wider local connections include Hope into Action Bromley, which provides homes for people who have experienced homelessness.
Looking ahead, Angela hopes BH can build on its achievements by developing more reliable move-on options, strengthening partnerships and helping people find not just accommodation, but a place where they can feel secure and connected.
After 17 years, her motivation remains rooted in the people at the heart of the work – and in the belief that, by working together, local communities can make a lasting difference.
With LHF’s three-year investment, BH will have a new opportunity to turn that commitment into more routes out of homelessness and towards a settled home.