What is Homelessness Awareness Week?
Homelessness Awareness Week (HAW) is a week of social, educational and awareness-raising events which aims to shine a light on the reality of homelessness in Northern Ireland. HAW is facilitated by Homeless Connect, the representative body for the homelessness sector in Northern Ireland. Held annually, it seeks to challenge stigma around homelessness and highlight the vital work carried out across the sector.
HAW is a grassroots event at its core, with organisations across Northern Ireland creating and delivering their own activities to raise awareness of homelessness in their communities.
HAW 2025 is supported by the Community Foundation Northern Ireland through their NI Housing and Homelessness Fund. We at Homeless Connect are grateful for their continued support.
When is it?
HAW 2025 will take place from Monday 1 December to Sunday 7 December 2025. A host of different events will be organised by local groups and organisations across society.
The Theme: See The Person
The theme for HAW 2025 is See The Person. Too often, homelessness is reduced to statistics, labels, or stereotypes. This year we want to remind everyone that behind every figure and every headline is a person with hopes, struggles, and potential.
At present, 49,129 households are on the social housing waiting list, and 4,730 children are living in temporary accommodation across Northern Ireland. These numbers show the scale of the challenge – but they also highlight why it is vital to look beyond the statistics and see the person.
By choosing to See The Person, we are challenged to respond with empathy, dignity and compassion. We need solutions that put people at the heart of housing and homelessness support.
The social media hashtags are #HAW25 and #SeeThePerson.
What’s Planned?
You will be able to find the full programme for Homelessness Awareness Week 2025 when it is published in November.
You can also find more details about each event on our events page.
Questions?
Email us at admin@homelessconnect.org and we will get back to you.
We would love for you to join us at the public events taking place throughout the week. Be part of ensuring that every person experiencing homelessness is seen, valued, and supported.
