You passed me
To mark our 40th anniversary in 2026, we are raising awareness of the homelessness you can't always see.
Our ‘You passed me’ campaign highlights three experiences you may not realise are homelessness: a child growing up in temporary accommodation, a young person sofa surfing and a care leaver without a secure place to call home.
The people you see in the campaign are actors, not clients. We created their stories by bringing together real experiences of young people, children and families we have supported. We have changed and combined details to protect people's privacy, but the experiences behind the stories are real.
We are thankful to everyone who gave their time and expertise for free to create this campaign.
You can’t see the nearly 4,000 children living in temporary accommodation in Westminster tonight – the equivalent of 133 classrooms of children without a secure home in one of the wealthiest boroughs in the country.
You can’t see the young people sofa surfing because they have nowhere stable to live. Nearly 1 in 5 young people have been at risk of having nowhere to stay because of problems at home.
You can’t see the young people leaving care at 18 for a hostel.
Young people leaving care are nine times more likely to face homelessness.
The child in temporary accommodation
Maya is nine. She and her younger brother go to school in Westminster. Their friends are here. Their mum works nearby. It is the part of London they know.
When the family could no longer afford to live in their private rented property after the breakdown of the marriage, they lost their home. The council first found them a hotel room. There was nowhere to cook, no table for dinner, drawing or homework. The family ate and spent their evenings sitting on their beds, not knowing where they would live next.
Then the council moved them again, this time to temporary accommodation outside Westminster, away from school, friends and the community they knew. Every morning they travelled back. Every evening they made the journey again – often nearly two hours each way. It cost money the family couldn’t afford and left everyone tired at the end of each day.
And there was always the possibility of another move. When we offered their mum help to buy a desk for homework, she said the children didn't want to get anything else. They were already thinking ahead: when they moved again, how would they carry it all?
Living like this affects more than where a child sleeps. Children lose familiar people and places, and with them a sense of security every child should be able to rely on. Families can find it harder to provide healthy meals and routines. Mental and physical wellbeing suffers. Uncertainty can become ingrained. Moving boroughs can disrupt health assessments and other support, and children can lose places on long waiting lists.
At the Cardinal Hume Centre, things stay the same. Maya and her brother can play, see familiar faces and make friends. Their mum can build connections and access practical help and advice.
Their accommodation may change again. The relationships they build here don't have to.
This composite story draws on experiences of families we support. Details have been changed and combined to protect privacy.
The sofa surfer
Jess is 20. When family relationships broke down and home was no longer safe, she turned to friends.
For six months, she moved from sofa to floor, carrying her belongings with her and never knowing how long she would be able to stay.
Eventually she relied on friends of friends she barely knew and found herself in situations that didn't always feel safe.
When Jess ran out of people to ask and faced sleeping on the street, she sought help. Another organisation referred her to the Cardinal Hume Centre.
Young people who arrive at our hostel have often experienced trauma, instability and broken relationships. They may have spent months or years without anyone they feel they can depend on.
We don't expect them to trust us straight away. We start with something simple: we are there when we say we'll be. Jess initially wanted space. We let her close her door and decompress, while making sure she knew someone was available 24 hours a day. Gradually, she began talking to her support worker.
Together they sorted out benefits and housing issues, our life skills coordinator helped her manage her money and learn to cook healthy food. After a while, she began working with our employment team to apply for jobs and prepare for interviews. She now has a job and is working with us to find her own place.
Even when she leaves us, she knows she'll always be able to turn to us for help.
For Jess, progress started with feeling safe for the first time in her life – and people she could rely on to keep showing up.
Jess's story brings together real experiences of young people we support. We have changed and combined details to protect people's privacy.
The care leaver
Like Jess, Zain knows what it feels like to have nowhere secure to live and no one he feels he can depend on. But his route to the Cardinal Hume Centre was different.
Zain moved between foster homes from the age of 15. At 18, he left care for semi-independent accommodation outside Westminster, away from his friends and connections. When it didn't work out, his social worker referred him to our supported accommodation for young care leavers.
After years of adults deciding where he would live and when he would leave, Zain saw the Centre as just another place someone had sent him.
We gave him time. Zain could be alone when he wanted to, while knowing someone was available 24 hours a day. As we kept showing up, he gradually built relationships with staff and began to make the Centre his home.
Zain started art therapy. His education had suffered through years of uncertainty, but he wanted to return to college. His support worker helped him work out how to make that happen, and he has now enrolled on a course.
He still lives in one of our five dedicated care-leaver flats at Basil Hume House. He has his own space and greater independence, with staff close by when he needs them.
Like Jess, Zain has somewhere safe to live. And they both now have something every young person needs: people they know they can rely on.
Zain's story brings together real experiences of young people we support. We have changed and combined details to protect people's privacy.
Supporting children today to help prevent homelessness tomorrow
The impact of homelessness in childhood can last a lifetime. Children who experience homelessness are more likely to experience it as adults too. That’s why we work not only to tackle homelessness today, but to break the cycle for the future.
As we mark 40 years supporting young people, children and families in Westminster, our 'you passed me' campaign is raising awareness across London that most homelessness is hidden – and we need your help to make sure it isn't overlooked.
Stories from the Centre
Get in touch
If you have any questions about our work, or would like to support the Cardinal Hume Centre, please contact us.