What is Homelessness Awareness Week?
Homelessness Awareness Week (HAW) is a week of social, educational and awareness-raising events that aim 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 2026 is supported by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland through its NI Housing and Homelessness Fund. We at Homeless Connect are grateful for their continued support.
When is it?
HAW 2026 will take place from Monday 7 December to Sunday 13 December 2026. A host of different events will be organised by local groups and organisations across society.
The theme: Health, Home, Hope
The theme for HAW 2026 is Health, Home, Hope. A safe and stable home is the foundation for good physical and mental health, and for the hope that allows people to plan for the future. When that foundation is missing, health suffers and hope becomes harder to hold on to. This year, we want to highlight how closely these three are connected, and why housing and health must be considered together.
At present, 64,417 people across Northern Ireland have homelessness status, more than double the number ten years ago. There are also 4,837 children living in temporary accommodation. These numbers show the scale of the challenge, but they also highlight why it is vital to recognise the impact that homelessness has on people’s health, wellbeing and sense of hope.
By focusing on Health, Home, Hope, we are challenged to respond with empathy, dignity and compassion. We need solutions that put people at the heart of housing and homelessness support, and that recognise a home as the starting point for good health and a hopeful future.
The social media hashtags are #HAW26 and #HealthHomeHope.
What’s planned?
You can 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.
