Redbridge Council hosts partner walkabout to mark World Homeless Day
Published: 10 October 2025
To mark World Homeless Day 2025, Redbridge Council brought together key partners including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, for a walkabout event across Ilford, highlighting the borough’s collaborative approach to tackling the housing crisis and homelessness and supporting vulnerable residents.
The day included visits to the Single Homeless Project, VIA (the borough’s drug and alcohol support service), the Salvation Army and The Welcome Centre and. At each stop, attendees heard directly from service leads and frontline staff about the challenges they face and the work being done to support people experiencing homelessness.
The event also provided an opportunity to reflect on the wider housing pressures facing Redbridge. With some of the lowest stocks of social housing in London and over 7,000 households on the housing register, the borough, like the rest of London, is under an extraordinary financial and social burden with more than £100m spent on providing temporary accommodation in the past five years.
Importantly, the Council was also able to confirm that, as of today, no families are being housed in B&Bs for longer than six weeks - an encouraging milestone in the borough's ongoing efforts to improve temporary accommodation.
Councillor Saima Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, said: “World Homeless Day is a moment to listen, to learn and to act. Today’s walkabout was about recognising the incredible work happening across Redbridge and strengthening the partnerships that make it possible. We know the scale of the challenge, but we are committed to doing everything we can to support our residents and push for the change that’s needed.”
As part of the day, attendees also viewed a short video highlighting the work of the borough’s outreach teams. These teams play a vital role in engaging with people sleeping rough, offering support and helping them access accommodation, health care and long-term solutions.
The Council continues to work with partners to respond to the growing housing crisis, using every tool available to support residents and advocating for the national changes needed to fix the system.
