Homeless Link is delighted to announce Jamie Burton KC as our new Chair of Trustees.

We also welcome two new Trustees to our 12-strong board: Ellie McNeil, Chief Executive of YMCA Together and Gill Arupke, CEO of Social interest Group.

As we say goodbye to our outgoing Chair, Anne McLoughin, who stepped down at the end of her three-year term, we are extremely grateful for her unwavering commitment and support.

Jamie Burton is a public lawyer and social justice campaigner, with expertise in human rights, discrimination and social welfare. As a leading legal authority on homelessness, health and social care, social security and the rights of disabled people, children and migrants, Jamie will bring a wealth of expertise and a unique perspective on the issues faced by our sector.

Jamie is an expert in judicial review and has acted for the Claimants in many of the highest profile cases during the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

Jamie is also Chair and co-founder of ‘Just Fair’, a registered charity that works exclusively on the interaction between human rights and social justice issues, producing landmark research on the housing crisis, food poverty and disability rights, in particular. He is a Trustee for the Coram Children’s Legal Centre and an experienced public speaker and anti-poverty campaigner.

On accepting the position of Chair of Trustees, Jamie told us that Homeless Link was a "truly unique organisation" and he felt privileged to take over from "the indefatigable Anne McLoughlin".

I am enormously impressed by the energy and commitment of the staff and leadership team, including long-standing CEO Rick Henderson, as well as that of the board of trustees, and look forward to contributing towards the achievement of the organisation’s ultimate goal to end homelessness in England. Stable and affordable housing is the bedrock to a healthy and fulfilling life, and it is our collective failure that so many in our society go without it.

We are certain Homeless Link and our members will benefit immensely from Jamie’s guidance as we make progress within our current strategy, supporting and improving the sector and influencing change to systems. In particular, we hope that he will support us to further increase the influence of the homelessness sector with government so that we can realise our vision of a country where everyone has a place to call home.