TRANS SHELTER = TRANS POWER
Please note: The TWNS is self referral only, we do not accept agency referrals.
FAQ
Do I need ID?
No.
How does it all work?
Intake meeting: Following your self referral you will be invited to meet with a member of our team at our LGBTIQ+ Centre.
Induction meeting: From there, you will head over to the Trans+ Winter Night Shelter venue to meet with a member of our shelter crew who will show you around the building. This meeting is for health and safety and fire risk assessment but also gives you the chance to ask any questions and use facilities within the shelter before we open at 6pm.
Reception: Following your intake and induction you will need to attend reception each day between 6-8pm to stay at the TWNS.
Casework 1-1 meetings: To stay at the TWNS you will need to meet with a member of our LGBTIQ+ Centre team on a weekly basis to get support with your housing.
What are the opening hours?
6pm – 9am. 24hr on Sundays.
What facilities do you have?
Secure luggage storage. Guest lounge, kitchen and showers are open between 6-10pm and from 7am-9am.
Can I have my own room?
Potentially, this will be discussed during your intake meeting. We have 2x shared rooms with 4 beds in each room and 4 single bedrooms. Single rooms are often reserved for emergencies, those with physical disabilities, illness, pets or otherwise in need of a private space.
Can I bring my pet?
Yes, we’re very pet friendly. Dogs must be on a lead in communal areas.
I smoke, use drugs / alcohol – can I stay at the TWNS?
Yes, however there is no smoking, drug or alcohol use inside the TWNS. When reception closes there is no re-entry to the TWNS so if your smoking, drug or alcohol use needs to be maintained overnight, the security boundaries of a night shelter might be difficult for you to manage.
Press Release:
The Outside Project Announces their Trans Winter Night Shelter will run for a 2nd year in Hackney
In 2024 we decided that – given the global political wave against Trans+ people we saw coming – the best use of our time and your support was to open a Trans+ Winter Night Shelter. As a community we managed to build the shelter within 6 weeks and opened on Christmas Eve. The shelter provided over 900 nights off the street over winter 2024/25.
Now, we’re doing it all again!
The Trans+ Winter Night Shelter will provide a safe, supportive refuge for our Trans+ community who are homeless, escaping domestic abuse, seeking asylum, refugees and at risk of sleeping rough.
The Outside Project invites allies, community members, and policymakers to support the Trans+ Winter Night Shelter in any way possible. Tell your rich friends, your boss and your local MP.
For press, sponsorship or corporate partnership enquiries, please contact Co-Founder Director Laik Ecola – Laik@lgbtiqoutside.org
Further information:
Addressing the Need for Housing for Trans+ People in London
The Trans Winter Night Shelter is a direct community-led action in response to the need for crisis housing among the most marginalised members of the LGBTIQ+ community, people that we see everyday at our LGBTIQ+ Centre and through our Outreach service in Westminster.
Trans+ people face unique risks and discrimination when homeless and attempting to access existing crisis housing services. The shelter provides private and communal bedrooms alongside offices and community space.
Our original campaign in 2017 to open an LGBTIQ+ Centre and Shelter in London was a huge success and we’re really proud of our Outreach and Domestic Abuse Refuge services that launched during COVID. Returning to our roots of providing an emergency winter night shelter service, specifically for the Trans+ community, is something that we feel really passionate about. The response from the community in Hackney during our call out for mutual aid assembly points during the race riots in August 2024, and solidarity we have received from the Hackney Winter Night Shelter has made this action possible.
Meeting the Needs of the LGBTIQ+ Community
Since our founding in 2017, The Outside Project has campaigned for and led groundbreaking initiatives to support homeless LGBTIQ+ people in London. From the original LGBTIQ+ Winter Night Shelter in 2017 to the COVID emergency hotel and founding of the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ domestic abuse refuge in 2020, the organisation works tirelessly to address the absence of LGBTIQ+ crisis housing for London’s estimated ½ million LGBTIQ+ population.
Advocating for Systemic Change
While the Trans Winter Night Shelter represents a critical lifeline for Trans+ people over winter, The Outside Project continues to advocate for a permanent solution: year round, LGBTIQ+ Centres and crisis housing in each sub-region of London.
Nik Hann (she / they), Operations Manager for The Outside Project Quote:
‘Having worked frontline the past four winters with The Outside Project, it’s been clear how disproportionally Trans+ people are affected by homelessness.
Gender identity is so often a core reason of why Trans+ people have been made homeless, due to domestic violence, persecution in their country of origin, stigma and prejudice, and, with unequal and non-affirming access to mainstream services, Trans+ people are further pushed to the margins.
This is why it is so important and that we have a dedicated service this winter, and then we can move on to grow, develop this service and increase equity of access to all homelessness services for Trans+ people.‘
The Outside Project marching in the Black Trans Lives Matter protest, London, July 2021
Photo credit: Carla Ecola
TWNS art credit: Laik Ecola
Press usage disclaimer: All text, images, graphics and other content displayed on this page are provided for press and media use. Members of the press are granted permission to reproduce, publish or distribute any materials from this page in whole or in part for editorial and promotional purposes related to the coverage of the opening of the Trans+ Winter Night Shelter 2025.
No additional permission is required unless the content is altered in a misleading, negative or abusive way. If you have any questions regarding usage or require additional materials please contact Laik@lgbtiqoutside.org.