In an era of record house prices, a competitive rental market and the rising cost of living, the prospect of a ‘forever home’ seems out of reach for more of us than ever before. Circumstances can change alarmingly quickly and are often outside of people’s control. This could lead to a loss of a stable home and for some, the only immediate option might be sleeping rough.

When temperatures plummet, conditions for people sleeping on the streets can be harsher than ever. From arranging for outreach to offering a hot drink, here are some ways you can help those experiencing rough sleeping in East Sussex.

Rough sleeping in East Sussex

Rough sleeping describes people sleeping or about to bed down in the open air such as on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks and bus shelters. It also includes people in buildings or other dwellings not fit for habituation such as stairwells, car parks and stations.

Rough sleeping has increased in every region of England, including East Sussex. According to latest available data, an estimated 71 people were thought to be sleeping rough across East Sussex on a single night last June, with Eastbourne and Hastings experiencing the highest numbers.

How do I help someone sleeping rough?

  1. In case of emergency, get immediate help. If you see someone in urgent need of medical attention, call 111 or 999
  2. Connect with local services. Send an alert to StreetLink, a nationwide service to connect people sleeping rough with the local services that offer support. You can report concerns about rough sleepers at any time via their website. Reporting will trigger an alert to outreach services to check on the welfare of the person rough sleeping and connect them to places that can help
  3. Stop for a chat. Social interaction and support are important, regardless of your situation. If you feel able to, stop and have a conversation – you could be the first person to have said hello all day – or the first to offer support. Loneliness can have a huge impact on people
  4. Ask permission. Always think carefully and check if the person is happy to accept before offering items such as food, blankets or other supplies to someone on the street
  5. Pay if forward. Ask a nearby café if they will let you ‘pay it forward’ and purchase items for the person to collect
  6. Volunteer or donate. There are some great organisations locally that help support rough sleepers in East Sussex. Keep an eye on their socials for call outs for volunteers, food or clothing and other donations they might need for the people they support. Some of these organisations are listed below.

Local services

There are several services across the county who help support people who are rough sleeping. Some of these include:

  • Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is a locally agreed procedure which reduces risk of harm by providing emergency accommodation to anyone who might be sleeping rough in severe weather. District and Borough councils publish details on their websites and inform local services when SWEP is activated
  • Warming Up the Homeless is a registered charity helping the homeless communities of Hastings, St Leonards, Bexhill, Eastbourne and surrounding areas. Find out how they help and what you can do in support, by visiting Warm Up the Homeless on Facebook
  • Salvation Army – daycentre
    Address: 149 Langney Road, Rebourne Centre, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 8AG Email: eastbourne@salvationarmy.org.uk or telephone: 01323 417149
  • Matthew 25 – daycentre
    Address: Matthew 25 Mission, Brodie Hall, Seaside, Eastbourne, BN22 7NN
    Telephone: 01323 726960
  • Eastbourne Winter Night Shelter is a collaboration between several Eastbourne churches offering supervised overnight accommodation to homeless and vulnerable people who would otherwise be rough sleeping between December and February. All guests must be interviewed prior to admission. For referrals and assessment interviews telephone 07932 407730. Interviews are by appointment only. Email: wns@kingdomwaytrust.org
  • Rother District Council has published a list of support services for homeless people in Rother and Hastings District Council also has a list of support services.


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