LGBTQ+ Night Shelter

LGBTQ+ Night Shelter Pilot

We’re delighted to be opening an LGBTQ+ night shelter in Brighton. Opening January 23rd 2023, the shelter will be a pilot project which will run initially for 10 weeks.

Led by Switchboard with funding from The Rainbow Fund, the shelter is a partnership with The Outside Project and Stonewall Housing. You can refer guests using this form.
 

The Shelter

The shelter is by and for LGBTQ+ people aged 18+ who are experiencing homelessness, feeling unsafe where they are staying, sofa surfing or using apps to find places to sleep. Our shelter is in a secure location in central Brighton, and open at night only (7pm to 9:30am). We are staffed overnight and can take 10 guests at any one time. The shelter will provide comfortable beds, communal spaces, hot meals and showering facilities, as well as on-site access to LGBTQ+ housing advocates, domestic violence workers, and many other targeted support services for LGBTQ+ people.

 

The Team

Misa Akane: Night Shelter Coordinator
Nik Hann: Night Shelter Consultant
Sophie Simpson: LGBTQ+ Housing Advice & Advocacy Worker

 

Access To The Shelter

We can provide between 1 to 14 nights of accommodation and the service is by referral only. We will need a referral and a full risk assessment in order to consider your application. For the safety of our guests, we can’t take direct referrals at our shelter door.

 

If an individual is not already using a service that can refer them we recommend contacting [email protected] in order to make an appointment with Sophie the housing advice and advocacy worker.

 

Referral Criteria

  • LGBTQ+ people aged 18+ who are sofa surfing/escaping domestic, discriminatory, or hate violence/first time street homeless/already in homelessness support services/insecurely or unsafely housed
  • Low risk for substance abuse/violence/self-harm and suicide
  • Lower support needs for mental health/physical/learning disability (e.g. not those who would require a carer with them)
  • Either engaging with services already or wish to engage in services if required
  • No dependents who will also need to be in emergency accommodation
  • We welcome referrals of LGBTQ+ people with no recourse to public funds.
 

Referral Questions

If you are referring a service user and you have any questions, please email [email protected] and we will get back to you at the earliest possible opportunity. We do not have the capacity to answer questions about referrals via phone at this time and we will aim to respond within 24 hours, but this may not always be possible. Please do not submit multiple referrals for one individual or re-refer individuals who have been refused previously. Individuals who have completed a stay at the shelter may be re-referred using this form.

 

If demand exceeds supply, we may need to put individuals on a waiting list or refuse individuals we would otherwise want to accept if we had higher capacity. Sleeping accommodation will be in one large room with people leaving in the day however guests will be signposted to the many other services which provide support in the day, including LGBTQ+ spaces.

 

How You Can Help

Please support this new initiative by spreading the word across your networks.

We’re still accepting applications for volunteers to join our night shelter team and help support homelesss LGBTQ+ people in Brighton. If you’re LGBTQ+, available nights and/or weekends, and able to commit to at least two shifts – we’d love to hear from you. Training will be provided.

If you’re interested please complete our short online application form here.

Donate

Donations are essential to our work. Your donations will enable us to support people in crisis and help us get homeless LGBTQ+ people back on their feet. We will use your donations to put money towards a deposit for someone leaving the shelter or to purchase essential items for those who may have lost everything fleeing an abusive situation.

Switchboard will provide those leaving the service with support packages including essential items like bedding, toiletries and treats, which make a real difference to how people are feeling. If you think you can help by donating anything to our support packages please email [email protected].

Ongoing Review and Improvements

Justlife and Trans Pride Brighton & Hove will be evaluating the pilot in order to ensure we continue to improve safe housing options for LGBTQ+ people in Brighton and beyond. As this is a pilot project we will be reviewing our service and referral criteria on an ongoing basis and will keep you informed of any changes. We always welcome your feedback.