Across Sheffield, a network of homeowners are making a powerful statement: everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
A vital part of ASSIST’s accommodation service is the people who choose to use their properties to stand alongside people seeking sanctuary. Often with little public recognition, they offer long-term homes to people who have been refused asylum and stripped of government support.
ASSIST currently uses 50 bed spaces at any one time across 11 houses that it would otherwise not be able to provide.
Their decision to lend their home means someone is not forced onto the cold streets. It means our clients avoid the intense risks of exploitation, deteriorating health and extreme isolation that come with sleeping rough. Their support makes our essential housing service possible. Quite simply, without them, we could not meet the level of need that we see today or provide the holistic support central to our service offer.
The Difference You Make
In 2025, thanks to the generosity of our homeowners, 84 people seeking asylum were provided with safe accommodation, including 28 individuals in our refugee family housing. That’s 84 people who would otherwise be faced with street homelessness or forced into unstable sofa-surfing arrangements, leaving them vulnerable and open to exploitation.
Behind every number is a person rebuilding their life. A safe home offers more than a roof and four walls. It provides the stability people need to register with a GP, attend legal appointments, learn English, join community groups and take part in local activities. It creates the foundation for healing and connection. It restores dignity.
I love my house. I want to live there forever. The house is perfect… I am really happy. Since I came to the UK it is the best place I have lived in. - ASSIST Client
A Network of Sanctuary
ASSIST-supported homes stretch across Sheffield, embedded in a wide range of neighbourhoods. Together, they form a living network of sanctuary across the city.
Each property sends a clear message. No one seeking sanctuary should be left homeless and destitute.
When homeowners lend their property, they strengthen a city-wide culture of solidarity. Streets, wards and postcodes become places of welcome rather than exclusion.
Without a place to live your mind is not straight and then you feel someone is supporting you, giving you comfort. - ASSIST Client
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The Community Behind Every Home
Turning a property into a safe, sustainable home takes collective effort. We are grateful to:
- Our accommodation team, who manage housing placements, oversee maintenance and coordinate practical support.
- Our volunteers, who host, visit and walk alongside clients with consistency and care.
- Our supporters who have donated furniture and household essentials, helping transform empty rooms into welcoming spaces.
- Our funders, past and present, whose support ensures homes remain well-maintained and properly resourced.
- Our partner organisations that stand with us in this work (NACCOM, SY Ecofit, The Open Hands Project), for offering practical resources, shared learning and solidarity.
Opening Doors
To our homeowners, thank you for choosing compassion and sanctuary. Thank you for opening doors when others close them.
Thank you
If this story inspires you, there are many ways to stand with people seeking asylum. Consider donating, becoming a volunteer or finding out more by contacting admin@assistsheffield.org.uk
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