A woman sits on a bed surrounded by stuffed animals, with a cream wall covered in photographs, creating a cosy and homey environment.

What’s the link between homelessness and mental health?

Poor mental health is both a cause and consequence of homelessness.

  • Cause: Poor mental health can put you under enormous pressure. When that pressure builds and you don’t have the right support around you, things can unravel fast – and the risk of losing your home rises sharply.
  • Consequence: Homelessness is traumatic. It’s isolating, exhausting, and deeply painful – an experience that leaves lasting scars on mental health.

How housing pressures can cause poor mental health

We know that safe, stable housing is the foundation for good mental health. But when that foundation starts to crack, the pressure can take a serious toll.

  1. Keeping up with bills – When money’s tight or your health stops you from working, the basics – rent, bills, food – can feel out of reach. Add job insecurity and sky-high living costs, and the pressure quickly piles on.
  2. Living in limbo – Temporary or unsafe housing makes it almost impossible to build a stable life. The constant uncertainty strains relationships, disrupts work, and makes it harder to access vital services — like seeing a doctor or getting support from the Jobcentre.
  3. Struggling to stay afloat – When your mental health is low, the smallest tasks can feel overwhelming. Managing your tenancy, sorting repairs, opening post – it can all start to slip.
  4. Poor conditions, poor health – Cold, damp, mouldy homes aren’t just uncomfortable – they make you sick. Physically and mentally. When your living space feels like a daily battle, it’s even harder to find stability and move forward.

While I was in the hospital for my mental health, I lost my home as I could not afford the rent while not working. Not having a home and not knowing what I would do next was terrifying.

Rebecca
See how we supported Rebecca rebuild her life.
A woman is standing in a park, smiling, with flowers in the background.

When these pressures pile up, the risk of homelessness becomes very real. That’s where our Homelessness Prevention teams step in – supporting thousands of Londoners each year to stay in their homes, tackle the challenges early, and hold onto the stability they’ve worked hard for.

How homelessness can cause poor mental health

Homelessness doesn’t look one way – but every type of homelessness is stressful, isolating, and traumatic. And the stigma that comes with it only makes it worse. It chips away at self-worth, leaving people feeling ashamed, judged, and shut out from the support they deserve.

  • Rough sleeping – Sleeping on the street is brutal. It’s cold, painful, and dangerous. You’re in survival mode – searching for food, trying to stay warm, stay clean, stay safe. The toll it takes on your body and your mental health is huge. The mental and physical trauma can last a lifetime.
  • Sofa surfing – Relying on friends, family, or acquaintances – never knowing when you’ll be asked to move on – is exhausting. You’re living out of a bag, with no space to breathe, let alone plan for the future. The anxiety of not knowing where you’ll sleep next wears you down, fast.
  • Temporary accommodation – Being placed in temporary housing often means being uprooted – often miles away from the people and places that keep you going. Some people are moved up to 200 miles from their support networks. It’s isolating, disorienting, and makes rebuilding your life that much harder.
60% of our clients have a mental health problem
People on the street are 17x more likely to experience violence
Homeless people are 3.5x more likely to commit suicide than the general population

Putting mental health at heart of what we do

Homelessness is filled with pain and challenges most people can’t imagine. Getting through it takes serious strength – but no one should have to do it alone.

That’s why we embed mental health support into everything we do. Whether someone’s navigating a serious condition like psychosis or just needs help managing the ups and downs of everyday life, our support is always person-led and tailored to them.

We know there’s still stigma around mental health – especially when you’re facing homelessness too. That’s why we bring therapists into our services, making support easy to access and helping to normalise talking about thoughts and feelings.

We’re all about open conversations, not closed doors. We focused on people’s strengths, their goals, their future – not just the problems they’re facing now.

Everyone deserves to feel in control of their mental health, to live independently, and to feel strong enough to take on whatever comes next.

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