What to do if you're experiencing homelessness
Most people experiencing homelessness don’t sleep rough. Homelessness can mean sofa-surfing or living in temporary accommodation.
Whatever your situation, help is available.
Mainstay
To tackle homelessness, the City of Liverpool developed a revolutionary project called MainStay. It delivers improved access to short-term housing through support providers working together to assess and offer accommodation. MainStay helps make sure that all providers prioritise people with the greatest need.
YMCA Together led the development of the Mainstay system and has managed and administered the service since May 2013. Its success has led to the inclusion of floating support, outreach, and health services.
One person MainStay helped says,
‘I got my decisions on all the hostels the very same day. Previously, I would have to complete many application forms and visit each service for a separate interview.’
We now provide the service across the Liverpool City Region so that people experiencing homelessness receive a fast, responsive, comprehensive assessment and are placed in the right service at the right time.
Please email us to find out more about MainStay.
If you’re experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, please get in touch with your local housing options service.
Housing Options services in the Liverpool City Region have direct access to MainStay. They can refer you to temporary accommodation if needed. Click on your local borough below for details.
Liverpool
Sefton
Knowsley
Halton
St Helens
Wirral
YMCA Together works in a psychologically informed way across our services. This means we consider individual needs and focus on what’s important to people to create positive, sustainable futures.
Here for you, wherever you’re at.
Liverpool Services
Leeds Street
Leeds Street is in Liverpool city centre. This service provides 29 self-contained beds and 40 en-suite rooms. We provide support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This service is for people experiencing homelessness and may have multiple needs, including poor mental health, substance misuse, and offending behaviour.
Lister and Ullet
Lister Road in Kensington and Ullet Road in Toxteth provide 28 beds of accommodation for people experiencing homelessness.
These services offer a homely environment, with support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Florence House
Florence House is a first step from the street for people who’ve been rough sleeping. The service offers shared accommodation, psychologically informed support, and help with finding the right housing option for the future.
Housing Options can refer you to these services via a Mainstay assessment.
Housing Options: 0800 731 6844
Careline: 0151 233 3800
OUR House
Our House is a 6-bedroom home in south Liverpool, providing a safe, hopeful environment for young people in need of stable housing, support and apprenticeships. The service is for people aged 18 to 25.
You can refer yourself to this service, or your support worker can refer you by emailing hello@ymcatogether.org.uk
Knowsley Services
Alt Bank House
At Alt Bank House in Knowsley, we provide 42 beds of self-contained accommodation and support for people experiencing homelessness.
Housing Options in Knowsley can refer you to this service via a Mainstay assessment.
Tel: 0800 694 0280
9.00 AM – 5.00 PM – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Wednesday.
You can call and speak to an officer if you have a homelessness emergency outside of these hours. Alternatively, leave a message, and an officer will contact you the next working day.
Community Housing
We provide almost a hundred units of accommodation across the city region to help people manage their own tenancies with visiting support from our team. Depending on people’s preferences, self-contained and shared accommodation is available.
You can refer to this service via a MainStay assessment or the allocation process in our Useful Links section below.
Call 0151 600 3530 for advice and information.
Dutch Farm
Dutch Farm is a small urban farm based on disused industrial land in Garston, Liverpool.
When we began, our mission was to engage people in practical and sustainable food-related projects that inspire health and wellbeing and celebrate the diverse communities of Merseyside.
All these years on, and with a lot of hard work and commitment from our fantastic team, we have a thriving urban farm that has stayed true to its mission.
The farm includes:
- Chickens
- Several raised vegetable beds
- Polytunnels
- Greenhouses
- A small arts and crafts centre
- A trim trail
- An orchard
- And much more.
Dutch Farm provides a therapeutic environment that engages our service users in meaningful activity. It allows them to expand their skills, produce organic vegetables, and develop creative outlets.
Good Neighbours
We are regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing. As part of this we make public and accessible key policies.
Being a good neighbour, if you have any problems with YMCA Together tenants being a good neighbour in our communities you can email hello@ymcatogether.org.uk