Sanctuary Hosting

Who we are

Sanctuary Hosting matches homeless asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants to people in the community who offer a spare room, at no cost, for an agreed period of time. Starting in Oxford in 2015, by the end of 2018 the charity had hosted around 80 people and provided over 14,000 nights of accommodation. With funding from the Big Lottery, and in partnership with the Red Cross and Citizens Advice Reading, the hosting scheme expanded in 2016 to run across the Thames Valley; we now have hosts in Oxford, Milton Keynes and Reading.

With just two part-time staff, Sanctuary Hosting depends on the generosity and time of volunteer hosts and support workers, who provide support to each placement and ensure the service runs smoothly and safely. In this way, we work to prevent homelessness among sanctuary seekers, many of whom are destitute and unable to access state support.