The Homelessness Legal Clinic

Eighteen specially trained student volunteers form the core of the project, working on a rota to make sure they can respond to urgent referrals within 48 hours. Students prepare extensively before meeting clients, including training in professionalism, confidentiality, legal research, drafting and trauma-informed interviewing. They also receive bespoke training from the Centrepoint Helpline and a specialist housing law masterclass, ensuring their work is carried out to a high standard.

The Clinic’s model combines innovation with rigorous legal supervision. Initial fact-finding meetings are conducted online to ensure they can happen as quickly as possible and each meeting is attended by the client’s Centrepoint Helpline worker to provide emotional support. Students then draft two documents: a formal letter of representation to the local authority and a clear, accessible advice letter for the client. All work is supervised by specialist Shelter solicitors, who meet with students before and after interviews and provide detailed feedback.

A 2025 briefing by Centrepoint, drawing on its 2022/23 Youth Homelessness Databank, highlighted that over a third of young people were turned away without any assessment of their legal rights. Councils must assess anyone who approaches them as homeless or at risk of homelessness, whether or not they are found to be in priority need. Where that does not happen - a practice known as gatekeeping - young people are shut out of support they are legally entitled to. The Clinic was designed specifically to intervene at this point of crisis,

Our impact also extends beyond helping clients secure accommodation. For many of the people we work with, the Clinic represents the first time their experiences have been listened to and taken seriously. The letters drafted by students help articulate complex and traumatic histories that clients often struggle to present alone. Without this intervention, many would remain unseen by statutory services at a moment of extreme vulnerability.

Partnerships make our work possible. Centrepoint’s Helpline identifies young people in crisis and refers them directly to the Clinic, enabling early intervention. Shelter’s specialist solicitors ensure that all representations meet a high legal standard. Together, this creates a seamless pathway from first disclosure to supervised legal challenge.

The Clinic also has a profound educational impact. Students consistently describe the experience as transformative, deepening their understanding of homelessness and shaping their future aspirations. They value the opportunity to help clients tell their stories, navigate complex legal systems and assert their rights with confidence and dignity. Their commitment continues after the interview, with students following up with local authorities (often waiting on hold for extended periods) to ensure representations are acknowledged and acted upon.

As one student put it:

“Knowing that our efforts can help restore someone's sense of agency and hope, or simply provide reassurance during an overwhelming time, makes every case deeply rewarding.”

Of the twenty clients supported so far, 80% have been young women, and many have experienced domestic abuse, family breakdown or unstable temporary accommodation. In the first six months of operation, at least eight were offered accommodation as a direct result of representations made by our students and supervising lawyers. In April 2026 the Clinic was shortlisted for Best New Pro Bono Activity at the LawWorks and Attorney General’s Student Pro Bono Awards.

These case studies illustrate the complexity and importance of our work, and the value of what we’ve achieved.

When Sameeya* called the Centrepoint Helpline she was 30 weeks’ pregnant and sleeping on the floor of a friend’s house. Her friend had asked her to leave within the next 5 days. She had been assessed by the local authority in September and as a pregnant woman would have been automatically in priority need for housing. Despite this Sameeya had not been provided with a written decision nor had any contact from them since the assessment. Sameeya received legal advice on 21 November and an urgent letter of representation was sent to the local authority. On 2 December Sameeya was offered temporary accommodation.

When Yousuf* called the Centrepoint helpline he was sleeping in his car and had already been deemed ‘non-priority need’ by his local authority housing department. He followed up by providing the local authority with medical evidence of a rare genetic condition affecting his breathing. This prompted the local authority to amend their decision to ‘priority need’ meaning that they had a duty to accommodate him. However, Yousuf had been unable to get hold of his housing officer and had not been offered any accommodation. We booked Yousuf in for legal advice on 21 October. He was provided with a written summary of his housing rights and a letter of representation was sent to the local authority. On 31 October, Yousuf was offered accommodation in the private rented sector on a 24-month assured shorthold tenancy which he accepted.

*names have been changed to protect their identity