Twelve homelessness services from across the UK have been named winners in Homeless Link’s Excellence Awards 2026, with a further eight organisations highly commended.

The annual awards recognise the range of innovative and impactful work happening across the sector to support people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping in England.

2026 winners:

  • Demonstrating Impact: Change Please Foundation
  • Excellent Support: Cardinal Hume Centre
  • Successful Partnerships:
    • Single Homeless Project, Solace Women’s Aid, Change Grow Live and Crisis for the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census AND
    • Llamau with Centrepoint, Rock Trust and MACS NI for the Upstream UK Partnership
  • Unlocking Housing Supply: Caring for Communities and People (CCP)
  • Workforce Development: Housing Matters

This year saw 121 entries, with 33 organisations shortlisted, a fantastic reflection of the impact and dedication across the sector.

The awards were judged by experts from across the sector, including Judith Banjoko, Director of Services at Shelter, Rick Henderson, Chief Executive of Homeless Link and Duncan Shrubsole, Chief Executive of St Martin-in-the-Fields

Winners were announced at the Under One Roof conference in Nottingham and we’re delighted to celebrate everyone recognised this year. Huge congratulations to all the winners and those highly commended!

Rick Henderson, Chief Executive of Homeless Link, comments:

“From a programme bringing play and educational support into temporary accommodation while connecting families with casework services, to a project using an innovative housing model to prevent homelessness for care-experienced young people, Homeless Link’s annual Excellence Awards highlight the pioneering and impactful work happening countrywide to ensure that everyone has a place to call home and the support to keep it.
“Homelessness organisations are supporting extremely high numbers of people with increasingly complex needs, while continuing to face significant pressure on finances and resources. It is important that we recognise their exceptional efforts and the outcomes they make possible for people experiencing homelessness, validating their work and raising their profile among local partners and funders.
“The sector plays an essential role in homelessness relief and prevention, and we hope the Government will support this work through its Value for Money Review.”

Award categories and winners

Demonstrating Impact

Recognising organisations that can clearly demonstrate their effectiveness in supporting people facing homelessness, and their ability to learn from what works.

Excellent Support

Celebrating the heart of homelessness delivery; those core support services that make a real difference in peoples’ lives.

Successful Partnerships

Celebrating organisations that can demonstrate exceptional collaboration and partnership initiatives to address homelessness.

  • Winners:
    • Single Homeless Project, Solace Women’s Aid, Change Grow Live and Crisis for the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census;
    • LLamau with Centrepoint, The Rock Trust and MACS NI for the Upstream UK Partnership
  • Highly Commended:

Unlocking Housing Supply

Recognising organisations that are successfully increasing access to appropriate housing for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Workforce Development

Recognising homelessness sector organisations that prioritise the professional growth and wellbeing of their staff.