Before You Start — How To Use This Guide

This guide is written for anyone sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness in the UK, the USA, or Europe. It is offline-readable — save it to a phone, print it, or share it printed at a day centre. Nothing here replaces calling emergency services when you or someone else is in danger.

If you are in immediate danger, feeling unsafe, or someone needs urgent medical help right now:

A note on honesty: laws, opening hours, and helpline details change. This guide was checked in July 2026 using current sources, but always verify a number if you can — services move, close, or change hours, especially around holidays and severe weather. Where this guide is not certain about a specific rule in your area, it says so rather than guessing.

UNITED KINGDOM

Emergency and Key Contacts — UK

Save Shelter's number (0808 800 4444) and StreetLink (0300 500 0914) in your phone right now if you can, or write them on paper you keep on you.

Your Legal Position in the UK

Sleeping rough is not, by itself, a criminal offence anywhere in the UK — the old Vagrancy Act 1824, which criminalised rough sleeping and begging in England and Wales, was repealed and ceased to apply from 2024/2025. Some local councils still use Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) to restrict where you can sit, sleep, or beg in specific areas, and begging itself can still be treated as an offence in some circumstances under separate local rules, so being moved on by police or wardens can still happen. You do not have to show ID to police simply for sleeping rough, though it is sensible to carry ID if you have any, to make it easier to access services.

• England and Wales: councils have a legal duty under the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017) to give you advice, and in many cases to help "prevent" or "relieve" your homelessness — this applies whether or not you have a "priority need". If you have priority need (e.g. pregnant, dependent children, aged 16-17, care leaver, fleeing violence, vulnerable due to health/disability/age/being in the armed forces or prison), the council may owe you a duty to secure emergency accommodation. Approach your local council's housing team and say clearly: "I am homeless" or "I am threatened with homelessness within 56 days."
• Scotland: has some of the strongest rights in the world — nearly everyone assessed as unintentionally homeless is owed a duty by the council to secure settled accommodation, not just emergency housing. Contact your local council homelessness team or Shelter Scotland (0808 800 4444).
• Northern Ireland: contact the Housing Executive (NIHE) — similar priority-need framework to England/Wales.
• If a council refuses to help or turns you away without a proper assessment, that may be unlawful — Shelter's helpline can advise on challenging this.

Where To Shelter

Urban areas

• Council-run or charity night shelters and hostels — ask at the council housing office, a day centre, or via StreetLink for what is open locally.
• Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP): when temperatures are forecast at or below 0°C (or in some areas, other severe weather like heavy rain/flooding), councils open extra emergency shelter beds with no assessment needed. Ask any outreach worker, day centre, or call the council directly and ask "is SWEP open tonight?"
• Faith buildings (churches, mosques, temples) often run winter night shelter rotations (e.g. Housing Justice-coordinated winter shelters) — ask locally or search "[your town] winter night shelter".
• 24-hour spaces: some transport hubs, hospital waiting areas, and 24-hour supermarkets/launderettes offer warmth without directly offering to let you sleep — behave considerately and expect to be asked to move on some of the time.
• Avoid sleeping directly on cold ground, near river edges (flood risk), under unstable structures, or in isolated spots with no way out if threatened.

Rural areas

• Look for natural windbreaks — dense hedgerows, the leeward (downwind) side of a hill, evergreen tree cover which sheds rain and blocks wind far better than bare deciduous trees.
• Barns, agricultural buildings, and bus shelters can offer a dry roof — ask the landowner if you can, and always leave the space as you found it.
• Never shelter in a dry riverbed, gully, or low ground — flash flooding is a real, fast-moving danger, especially after rain.
• Check for and avoid dead ("widowmaker") branches overhead before settling under any tree.

Food and Water

• Food banks: the Trussell Trust network (trusselltrust.org) and independent food banks operate across the UK — most need a referral voucher from a GP, council, Citizens Advice, or charity, but many will still help if you turn up without one, so ask.
• Soup runs and drop-in meals: Salvation Army centres, Crisis Skylights, and local charities run free hot meals — a day centre or StreetLink can tell you what runs locally and when.
• Tap water in the UK is safe to drink — pubs, cafes, and libraries are required to give you free tap water if asked, and many will.
• Register with a GP using a day centre or homelessness charity's address if you have no fixed address — you cannot legally be refused GP registration for lack of a permanent address.

Hygiene and Health Care

• You have the right to register with an NHS GP with no ID, no address, and no immigration status check needed for GP registration itself.
• Day centres run by Crisis, Salvation Army, and local homelessness charities usually offer free showers, laundry, clothing, and sometimes basic first aid and podiatry (foot care) — foot health matters enormously when you are walking and standing outdoors all day; check feet daily for blisters, sores, or signs of infection (trench foot: numbness, swelling, blistering).
• NHS walk-in centres and Urgent Treatment Centres will treat you without an appointment.
• Dental pain: NHS 111 can direct you to emergency dental care.
• If you use drugs, needle exchanges (via local drug and alcohol services) provide clean equipment free of charge and reduce infection risk — this is a health service, not a judgement.

Surviving Winter, Rain, Wind, and Cold

• Layer clothing rather than wearing one thick layer — trapped air between layers insulates better. Keep a dry layer saved purely for sleeping if you possibly can.
• Damp is often more dangerous than cold alone — wet clothing conducts heat away from your body far faster. Prioritise staying dry over staying warm if you must choose.
• Cover your head and neck — a large share of body heat is lost from an uncovered head and neck.
• Watch for hypothermia signs in yourself or others: uncontrollable shivering that then stops, confusion, slurred speech, drowsiness, clumsiness. If shivering stops but the person is still cold and confused, this is a medical emergency — call 999.
• Watch for frostbite: numbness, hard pale or waxy-looking skin on fingers, toes, ears, or nose. Warm gently and gradually — never rub the area or use direct high heat.
• In heavy rain, prioritise getting your torso and head dry over anything else — a bin bag with head and arm holes cut works as an emergency rain layer.
• On official cold weather alerts, ask about SWEP shelter (see above) — councils are expected to open extra beds.

Staying Safe: Exploitation, Drugs, Alcohol

• People who exploit homelessness — through "county lines" drug running, forced labour, sexual exploitation, or forced begging — often target people who are isolated, in debt, or desperate. Warning signs include someone offering "easy money", a place to stay in exchange for undefined favours, taking your ID or phone "for safekeeping", or discouraging you from contacting services or family.
• If you are in, or think you might be in, an exploitative situation: the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline (08000 121 700, UK) is free, confidential, and can arrange safe support — you will not be judged or automatically reported to immigration enforcement for calling.
• If someone pressures you into sex work, drug carrying, or theft to "pay off" a debt to them, that is coercion, not a fair deal, whatever they call it — a day centre keyworker or the helpline above can help you get out safely.
• Alcohol and drug use: if you drink or use drugs, staying safer matters more than being told to stop — never use alone if you can help it, know that mixing depressants (alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines) sharply raises overdose risk, and carry naloxone if you or people around you use opioids — drug services and some outreach teams give this out free and show you how to use it.
• Trust your instincts about people and situations. Keep any ID and important documents on your person, not with anyone else "for safekeeping".

Training, Work, and Making Money Legally

• The Big Issue: you can become an accredited vendor and buy magazines at a wholesale price to resell — this is a real, structured income source specifically designed for people experiencing homelessness. Ask at a Big Issue office or bigissue.com.
• Crisis Skylight centres and Salvation Army employment services offer free CV help, interview practice, digital skills, and links to short training courses and apprenticeships.
• Jobcentre Plus can help with Universal Credit claims even without a fixed address — you can use a "care of" address (a day centre, hostel, or friend's address) to receive post and claim benefits.
• Some day centres run "meanwhile" paid work schemes (short casual jobs, e.g. clearing, gardening, event stewarding) — ask what is available locally.
• Be cautious of any "job" that asks for money upfront, takes your documents, or that you can't verify — this is a common exploitation route.

UNITED STATES

Emergency and Key Contacts — USA

Your Legal Position in the USA

US law on homelessness varies enormously by state and city — there is no single national rule. Key things to know:

• Since the 2024 Supreme Court decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, cities are legally allowed to fine or arrest people for sleeping in public even with nowhere else to go — but whether they actually do this, and how strictly, varies hugely by city and even by season. Some cities have chosen not to enforce such laws or have added their own protections; check locally.
• A small number of states and cities (e.g. Massachusetts, some individual cities) have a legal "right to shelter" — meaning the local government is required to offer you a shelter bed if you ask. Call 211 to ask directly whether your city or state has this and how to access it.
• You generally have the right to be in most public spaces during open hours, and camping bans, if they exist locally, usually come with required advance notice and, in some places, an offer of shelter — ask a local homelessness outreach organisation or legal aid clinic what applies where you are, as enforcement approaches shift often.
• You do not need a fixed address to register to vote in most states — election offices can advise on how to list a shelter, PO box, or intersection as your address.
• You do not need ID to call 911, 211, or 988, and none of these require immigration status checks for the caller.

Where To Shelter

Urban areas

• Call 211 first — they hold live, local information on which shelters have beds tonight, which is far more reliable than guessing, since bed availability changes daily.
• Extreme-weather shelters ("warming centers" in cold, "cooling centers" in heat) open in most cities during declared weather emergencies — ask 211 or check your city government's website for "warming center near me".
• Public libraries are warm, free, and open to everyone during opening hours; many have restrooms and phone/device charging.
• Faith-based missions and shelters (Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, local rescue missions) provide beds, often alongside a meal, in most cities.

Rural areas

• Rural areas often have far fewer shelter beds — 211 can point you to the nearest ones, which may be a significant distance away.
• Look for windbreaks (dense evergreen tree lines, the lee side of hills or rock outcrops), and avoid dry creek beds and low-lying ground, which flash flood after rain.
• Grange halls, agricultural buildings, and churches in small towns will often help if you ask directly.
• Extreme heat is a serious rural danger too — in summer, seek shade in the hottest part of day, drink water regularly even if not thirsty, and know that confusion, stopping sweating, and dizziness are signs of heat stroke requiring immediate emergency help.

Food and Water

• Feeding America (feedingamerica.org) has a searchable directory of food banks and pantries nationwide.
• SNAP (food stamps): you can apply for SNAP benefits without a fixed address — a shelter, PO box, or a friend's address can be used; ask a caseworker or 211 how to apply locally.
• Soup kitchens and free community meals are run by many churches and charities — 211 or a local shelter can tell you the weekly schedule.
• Tap water in public buildings (libraries, community centers) is safe and free in the US — you can ask for water at most restaurants too.

Hygiene and Health Care

• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) provide free or sliding-scale medical care regardless of insurance or immigration status — findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov can locate one near you.
• Many shelters and drop-in centers offer free showers and laundry — 211 can point you to the nearest one.
• HRSA health centers and many shelters also provide basic dental and mental health services.
• Needle exchange / syringe service programs exist in many states and reduce infection risk for people who inject drugs — ask a local health department or 211 what is available and legal in your state, as rules vary.

Surviving Winter, Rain, Wind, and Cold

• Follow the same core principles as the UK section above: layer clothing, prioritise staying dry, insulate yourself from the cold ground with cardboard/newspaper/blankets, and cover your head and neck.
• In the US, dangerously cold weather often triggers official "Code Blue" or cold weather emergency declarations that open extra shelter beds — 211 will know if one is in effect.
• Hypothermia and frostbite warning signs are the same everywhere in the world (see UK section) — treat them as a medical emergency and call 911.
• In desert and southern regions, sudden cold snaps still kill — never assume a region is "too warm" to need cold-weather precautions overnight.

Staying Safe: Exploitation, Drugs, Alcohol

• The same warning signs apply as elsewhere: someone offering money, drugs, or a bed in exchange for undefined favors, confiscating your ID "for safekeeping," or discouraging contact with services, is a red flag for exploitation or trafficking.
• Call or text the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888 / text 233733) if you are worried about yourself or someone else — it is confidential and will not automatically trigger immigration enforcement against you.
• Fentanyl contamination of other street drugs is a major cause of overdose death in the US — never use alone if avoidable, consider carrying naloxone (often available free from health departments or harm-reduction organizations, no prescription needed in most states), and know that calling 911 for an overdose is protected by "Good Samaritan" laws in most states, meaning you generally won't be prosecuted for drug possession for calling to save a life.
• SAMHSA (1-800-662-4357) can direct you to free or low-cost treatment if and when you want it — there is no pressure or requirement to quit before you can get help with safety and health.

Training, Work, and Making Money Legally

• American Job Centers (careeronestop.org, or call 1-877-872-5627) offer free job search help, resume support, and training referrals in every state.
• Day labor agencies and local staffing agencies offer short-term paid work without needing a fixed address, though pay and conditions vary — ask other people at a shelter which local ones are reliable.
• Many shelters and organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army run free job-readiness and skills programs alongside their other services.
• You do not need a permanent address to get a job — a shelter or a trusted friend/relative's address, or a PO Box, can be used on applications; ask a caseworker for help setting this up.

EUROPE

Homelessness law and support systems differ country to country in Europe far more than within the UK or USA. This section gives you the one number that works almost everywhere in the EU, general principles that hold across most of the continent, and specific detail for a few countries where it could be reliably checked. If your country isn't listed in detail, use 112, ask at any town hall (mairie/Rathaus/ayuntamiento/municipio) social services desk, the Red Cross, Caritas, or the Salvation Army locally — these operate in almost every European country.

Emergency Number for All of Europe

France

Anyone without shelter can call 115, regardless of nationality or immigration status — no ID or paperwork condition is required to call. Be aware demand is very high, especially in winter, so it can take several calls to get a place; if you are in danger from cold, call 115 straight away rather than waiting until evening.

Germany

• Call 112 for emergencies. For non-emergency help, contact your local Sozialamt (social welfare office) or Ordnungsamt, or a local Caritas or Diakonie office — both operate nationwide day centres, food, and shelter referrals.
• Many German cities run a "Kältebus" (cold bus) or Kältehilfe (cold-weather aid) programme in winter — outreach vans bring hot drinks, blankets, and information on shelter beds. Ask any charity worker, or search "[your city] Kältehilfe".

Ireland

• Call 999 or 112 for emergencies.
• Focus Ireland and the Dublin Simon Community (and equivalent Simon Communities regionally) provide emergency accommodation referrals, food, and support — contact via focusireland.ie or dubsimon.ie, or through your local council's homeless services.

Spain

• Call 112 for emergencies.
• Cruz Roja (Spanish Red Cross) and Cáritas run shelters, food, and outreach in most Spanish cities — ask at any town hall (ayuntamiento) social services desk for the nearest albergue (shelter).

General Principles Across Europe

• Caritas, the Red Cross/Red Crescent, and the Salvation Army run shelters, food distribution, and outreach in nearly every European country — they are usually the fastest way to find help in a country not listed above.
• In EU countries, EU/EEA citizens generally have freedom of movement but social assistance rights for homelessness support can depend on residency status, so ask local services directly what you are entitled to rather than assuming.
• Sleeping rough is decriminalised or not actively enforced in most of Western Europe, but begging restrictions and "anti-vagrancy" local ordinances do exist in some cities — if moved on by police, this is more often about the specific spot than about being homeless itself; ask outreach workers where enforcement is currently lighter.
• Winter shelter obligations ("plan grand froid" in France, "Kältehilfe" in Germany, and similar schemes elsewhere) mean many countries open additional beds specifically when temperatures drop — always ask if an emergency winter plan is active.

UNIVERSAL SURVIVAL SKILLS (All Countries)

Core Priorities, In Order

1. Safety from immediate danger (traffic, water, violence, unstable structures).
2. Shelter from wind, rain, and cold — this matters more, faster, than food.
3. Staying dry and off the cold ground.
4. Water and food.
5. Hygiene and health, to prevent small problems becoming medical emergencies.
6. Connecting with services that can move you toward permanent housing — survival is the floor, not the goal.

Improvised Insulation Materials (any country)

• Cardboard — excellent, free, widely available insulation from the ground; use double or triple layers.
• Newspaper stuffed inside clothing traps warm air surprisingly well in an emergency.
• Bin bags/plastic sheeting — blocks wind and damp; punch small holes if using as clothing to let some sweat escape and avoid getting damp from the inside.
• Foil/space blankets — reflect body heat back; shiny side should face your body.
• Dry leaves, straw, or bracken stuffed under and around you adds significant insulation in rural settings.

Basic Hygiene Without a Bathroom

• Wet wipes or a small amount of water with soap on a cloth, focused on hands, face, underarms, and groin, prevents most skin infections even without a full wash.
• Change socks daily if at all possible and let feet air out — trench foot and fungal infections are common and preventable street health problems.
• Hand sanitiser before eating and after using the toilet reduces illness significantly when running water isn't available.
• Public libraries, fast food restaurants, and petrol/gas stations often have accessible toilets — asking directly, calmly, and briefly usually works better than assuming you'll be refused.

When to Treat Something as a Medical Emergency

• Confusion, slurred speech, or clumsiness in cold weather (possible hypothermia).
• Numb, hard, pale/waxy skin (possible frostbite).
• A wound that is hot, swelling, spreading redness, or producing pus (infection).
• Chest pain, difficulty breathing, one-sided weakness or facial drooping (possible heart attack/stroke).
• Suspected overdose — call emergency services immediately; in most countries you will not be prosecuted for possession for calling to save a life.
• In all these cases, call the emergency number for your country (999 UK, 911 USA, 112 Europe) without delay.

Looking After Your Mind, Not Just Your Body

Isolation and exhaustion make every other problem harder to deal with. Reaching out — to a helpline, a day centre keyworker, a faith group, or another person you trust on the street — is not weakness, and it measurably improves both safety and the chance of getting off the streets sooner. Samaritans (UK, 116 123), 988 (USA), and local equivalents exist for exactly this, any hour, with no requirement that you be "in crisis enough" to deserve to call.