House of St Barnabas launch new campaign ‘Homelessness is’ to show the alarming gaps in public understanding of homelessness.

• The charity has commissioned research which reveals that 70% of Brits don’t consider unsuitable or temporary accommodation as forms of homelessness.
• An issue on the rise with over 104,510 households living in these conditions, according to the latest government data* – the highest since records began.
• To drive awareness, 55 billboard sites across London, including, The Outernet, Old Street and JCDecaux’s Shoreditch Showcases will diplay key visuals from the campaign.   
• The charity is announcing a new free exhibition, featuring artists who have experienced homelessness across the UK and encourages attendees to share their own definition of what homelessness means to them opening on Saturdays in October at the House of St Barnabas, 1 Greek St, London W1D 4NQ.
• The campaign is encouraging everyone to share their own experience of homelessness on social media, using #HomelessnessIs.

Unsuitable housing and temporary accommodation is a growing issue in the UK with over 104,510 households living in these conditions, according to the latest government data*. The ‘Homelessness Is’ campaign by House of St. Barnabas brings to light the hidden forms of homelessness affecting people across London, by hero’ing the stories of individuals and activists with a personal lived experience of hidden homelessness.

New data has exposed that over two thirds,70% of Brits don’t consider unsuitable accommodation as a form of homelessness. Not only do Brits not understand the complexities of homelessness – less than half associate sofa-surfing or staying with friends or family with homelessness, and an alarming 82% wouldn’t know what to do if they found out someone they knew was homeless.

To amplify awareness of the campaign, eye-catching street furniture and billboards will be going live across 55 sites in London, including the Outernet, Old Street and JCDecaux’s Shoreditch Showcases. The displays will show people who have experienced homelessness and include additional information about the scale of the problem in the UK to help educate consumers. Digital advertising will also raise awareness online and encourage people to share their definition of homelessness on social media.

The campaign was concepted and created by cultural marketing company, Platform13, who are delivering key messaging and storytelling, comms strategy, creative and multichannel production across OOH, digital and social. Other key partners in the campaign are FleishmanHillard, bringing the comms strategy to life through PR, J C Decaux providing a 55-site media buy across the capital and Outernet providing space for 1 week on their wrap-around screens at the entrance of Tottenham Court Rd Station.

Speaking about the campaign and critical areas where public understanding needs urgent improvement, Rosie Ferguson, CEO of the House of St Barnabas said “The reality for far too many people in the UK today is living in unsuitable and temporary accommodation. We want to improve public understanding of all the forms of homelessness as our research shows how little there is on this issue. The launch of this campaign, Homelessness is, allows us to give a voice to those who have been silenced by the system for too long, but together we can make a difference in communities across the UK”.

Leila Fataar, Platform13 Founder said “It’s been a pleasure to work alongside Gillian Jackson and the House of St. Barnabas team on such an important project. Many of us simply don’t realise that homelessness has many forms outside of rough sleeping and is often hiding in plain sight. We hope this campaign can both drive awareness around this issue, inspire people who may be in these situations and start some meaningful conversations around realistic solutions.”

V Varilly, Director at FleishmanHillard said “We’re so proud to be a part of this incredibly important campaign with House of St Barnabus. It’s alarming to think that something so close to home is so misunderstood or worse still, completely unacknowledged. By reframing what it means to be homeless, we are forcing people to wake up and truly see the huge spectrum and scale of the problem. Ultimately, we hope the Homelessness is campaign educates and empowers people to change our very broken system.

Chris Dooley, Head of Social Impact at JCDecaux UK, said, “We are proud to support this House of St Barnabas campaign, using the public screen of Out-of-Home to raise awareness about the different forms that homelessness can take. This is an important cause and I look forward to seeing the ‘Homelessness is’ campaign on digital screens across London!”

Ivona Kirschel, Director at ADOT Foundation, said: “ADOT is delighted to support House of St. Barnabas. We believe that how we talk about homelessness impact on our attitudes towards the issue. By changing perspectives and deepening our understanding, we can take a significant step towards creating impactful and meaningful change. We extend our hand in partnership with Outernet, London, to help amplify this message and are excited to witness this campaign come to life in such close proximity to the House of St. Barnabas, bringing the message closer to home than ever before.”

As part of the campaign, the House of St Barnabas, is announcing a new free-to-attend photographic and educational exhibition, featuring artists who have experienced homelessness across the UK and encourages attendees to share their own definition of what homelessness means to them.

Source: House of St Barnabas

  ADOT Foundation, Advertising, Campaign, FleishmanHillard, House of St Barnabas, JCDecaux, Platform 13, UK