Looking for P3 Housing Association?
Go to P3 Housing
Looking for P3 Housing Association?
Go to P3 Housing
In the UK, homelessness prevention is more important than ever as record numbers of people are facing housing insecurity. Latest government data show that over 330,000 households were supported by councils to prevent or help people experiencing homelessness in 2024–25 – this doesn’t the tens of thousands more who were assessed as at risk of homelessness.
At the same time, more than 130,000 households, including large numbers of children, are living in temporary accommodation – the highest level on record – highlighting the urgent need for effective early interventions. This is where dedicated homeless prevention teams like P3 Charity come in, play a vital role in helping people stay in their homes and avoid the trauma of homelessness altogether.
Homelessness prevention support comes in many forms. For example, homelessness prevention services offered by P3 include a range of early support, advice and practical solutions to prevent homelessness. These services aim to keep people in safe and stable housing and are often delivered through community-based support or floating support services.
Offering community-based support before people reach crisis point, P3 Charity’s homelessness prevention relies on early intervention to help people remain in stable housing and avoid eviction or homelessness. Using a holistic, person-centred approach, P3 works alongside individuals to understand their unique circumstances and the challenges they face, then provides tailored support with housing and tenancy issues, benefits and income, debt and budgeting and access to other local support services. By addressing problems early and strengthening people’s ability to sustain their tenancies, P3 helps reduce housing insecurity and supports people to build stability, independence and long-term wellbeing.
Early intervention is essential to homelessness prevention because it helps people maintain their current housing to avoid homelessness in the first place. Housing insecurity can have a significant emotional impact on someone, so by offering a blend of practical and emotional support, we help people to remain in their homes, reduce stress and maintain a sense of security, which creates stronger foundations for long-term stability.
It’s been studied and suggested that early intervention could also save money because it reduces temporary accommodation costs, lowers demand on health and justice services and improves economic participation through a decrease in emergency support, potentially saving the UK economy £370 million each year – 10% of the £3.7 billion the UK spends on homelessness annually.
P3’s early-intervention support consists of integrated floating support, mental health support, employment support, homelessness prevention services and youth programmes that step in before people reach crisis point.
P3’s homelessness prevention teams work directly in the community, meeting people at our hubs, in their homes or local centres. A key part of identifying early signs of housing instability is truly listening to what’s going on in someone’s life and then helping them identify practical solutions, whether that’s making phone calls to the local authority’s housing options team, helping to complete benefits forms, attending interviews or appointments or helping to communicate with landlords or housing providers. Alongside this practical work, P3’s teams provide ongoing emotional support, regularly checking in, adapting support as circumstances change and working with partner agencies to help people stay safely and securely housed.
Just some examples of this support include:
When someone is experiencing homelessness or at immediate risk of homelessness, that’s when our outreach and emergency accommodation services step in, providing an immediate crisis response. ‘Homelessness’ can mean different things, including rough sleeping, sofa-surfing or living in unsuitable, unsafe or overcrowded accommodation. While prevention aims to stop homelessness from happening, outreach and emergency support is there to help when homelessness has already occurred, offering immediate safety and support.
If you are at risk of homelessness and need support to manage your tenancy or prevent eviction, you can find support here.
If you are currently homeless or at immediate risk of homelessness and need support to find housing or safety, you can find support here.
If you’re at risk of homelessness, the most important first step is to seek support as early as possible from a homelessness prevention service. You don’t have to wait until you’ve received an eviction notice or reached crisis point. Early support can help you understand your options, resolve problems before they escalate and put practical plans in place to help you stay in your home.
1. Depending on your location, you may be able to refer yourself directly to one of our homelessness prevention services – you don’t always need a professional to do this for you. Start by searching your location and find a support service near you.
2. Referrals can also be made by professionals, including:
3. Once a referral is received:
One person who knows the real power of early intervention is Anthony, who accessed support from P3’s Community Based Support Service in the Cotswolds.
Looking for support with an ongoing civil court case surrounding his tenancy, Anthony was referred to P3 Charity by the local housing department in Cirencester, a market town that acts as main hub for rural communities around the Cotswolds. From the very first conversation, Anthony said he found a sense of understanding and reassurance that had been missing in the support he’d received previously.
“I was very, very worried at the time,” he adds, “but [P3] were lovely to me and reassured me that [they] would help me find the right support… What I loved about P3 was the informality and the way they were so welcoming.”
After talking through his situation with the team, Anthony felt immediate relief, saying, “It was great knowing I had someone to rely on.” For many people like Anthony, that first connection is a turning point: a moment when uncertainty begins to lift, replaced with trust and hope.
One of the biggest challenges Anthony faced was accessing support, as he lived in one of the more rural communities on the outskirts of Cirencester. Based in one of the UK’s peak tourist regions, people in need of help in the Cotswolds face distinct social and practical barriers. With high living costs, limited affordable housing and public transport often limited to tourist hubs, finding the right support can feel out of reach.
This is where services like P3’s Cotswolds Community-Based Support Service becomes indispensable, bringing tailored, face-to-face help into rural communities before people reach crisis point. These services ensures that no one is left behind because of geography, helping people stay connected, independent and secure in their homes.
“Having lived in both cities and the countryside, one thing that stands out for me is the disconnect people face in rural areas. The isolation really is quite frightening, but having people like P3 here to listen really is brilliant”, Anthony says.
When he discovered he would need to attend a court hearing in Swindon – around 30 miles from Cheltenham – Anthony says the stress became overwhelming. “I’d had many sleepless nights”, he admits. But a week before the hearing, a member of the P3 team offered to attend with him: a gesture that meant more than words could express.
“To be honest with you, I was so chuffed” Anthony said, “I didn’t have to fight alone.”
That simple act of standing alongside someone in their moment of need encapsulates what P3 is all about: practical help delivered with empathy, ensuring that no one faces life’s challenges alone.
Now feeling much more reassured and confident about moving forward with his case, Anthony reflects on just how far he’s come. He said, “I’m not afraid”: something he never thought he’d be able to say.
Through dedicated, community-rooted support like this, P3 continues to make a difference across rural areas, breaking down barriers to access and ensuring that everyone – no matter where they live – has the chance to find stability and prevent housing insecurity and homelessness.
At P3, we see the impact of early intervention every day. When people receive support early, they are far more likely to stay in their homes, maintain relationships and protect their physical and mental wellbeing. Once someone becomes homeless, the challenges they face multiply, often making recovery harder and more complicated.
That’s why prevention is at the root of our approach at P3: It helps people to maintain stability and move forward with their lives. By supporting people before they reach crisis, we can reduce the risk of homelessness, strengthen resilience and help people stay safely connected to their homes, communities and support networks.
