Kindness is needed to tackle homelessness – and not just at Christmas

As homelessness surges across the UK, the festive season offers the perfect opportunity to address more than just the housing crisis – it’s a chance to redefine how we treat one another.

At Social Bite, we’ve been opening our doors to serve free Christmas meals with all the trimmings to anyone who needs it for 10 years. A decade later, economic challenges facing society at large have meant that homelessness statistics have worsened, affecting more people in more ways and for longer periods.

Social Bite has backed the call to declare a national housing emergency in Scotland as the issue has reached a crisis point in many of our towns and cities. In Edinburgh, there’s been a 5% increase in homelessness applications year-on-year. In Glasgow, that number rises to 15%, and the number of households living in temporary accommodation in the city has increased to over 3,000 in the past 12 months.

Meanwhile in England, the number of people living in temporary accommodation has soared to the highest point since records began more than 25 years ago. It’s bleak: one in 200 UK households are experiencing homelessness – the highest rate in Europe. 

While these numbers paint a grim picture, the real crisis lies beyond the statistics. It’s easy to get caught up in the stats – and they certainly are shocking. But this isn’t just about a lack of social housing, the cost-of-living crisis or cuts to council funding. It’s about how we treat other human beings.

Increasingly, organisations in the homelessness sector are recognising that homelessness is a social problem. Simon Community Scotland refer to homelessness as ‘a people emergency, not a housing emergency.’ At Cyrenians, they’re drawing attention to homelessness as a public health concern. At Social Bite, we believe that kindness also plays a part in ending homelessness.

This belief in kindness shaped our response a decade ago and continues to guide us today. That first Christmas, back in 2014, I experienced a Christmas miracle. It came in the form of 36,000 Christmas dinner donations, funded by generous Scots via the voucher platform itison.com. Ever since, we’ve tried to embody that generosity of spirit in the services we provide. We believe free food underscores the transformative power of kindness, proving that small acts of compassion can create community, dignity, and hope.

At Christmas, Social Bite’s team run a free food service that people come back to year after year – not just for the food, but to see friends and enjoy each other’s company. For many, this gathering offers more than a meal; it’s a source of connection and belonging during an otherwise isolating time.When there’s no public transport, some people will walk an hour each way for Christmas Day in a loving environment.

One regular, Jim, describes it this way: “Social Bite has no air or graces. People offer support, help, and kindness without expecting any return. You meet people from all walks of life, pensioners, young people, addicts, different faces from many places. Christmas at Social Bite is special as its [sic] full of fun, enjoyment, happiness. Nobody is excluded and everyone is equal.”

Jim’s words remind us that simple acts of kindness can have a profound impact. Over the years, I’ve seen countless examples of people embracing opportunities to show kindness and compassion, and each time, it fills me with inspiration, awe, and hope. This is never truer than at Christmas.

So, if you see someone affected by homelessness this winter – show them kindness. That may be a smile and a chat. It could be purchasing a Big Issue or making a £5 donation to Social Bite to buy a Christmas dinner. Or maybe it’s raising your voice to advocate for change. We each have the power to make a difference, so let’s ensure no one feels invisible or forgotten during the holidays.

The Social Bite Festival of Kindness has been running across the UK for years. Launching in Edinburgh five years ago, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and London soon received their own trees where local people can hand-deliver gifts, essential items and donate towards a hot meal for people who are homeless and vulnerable over the festive period.

The initiative encourages people from across the country to help spread some joy to people who need it. Kind-hearted donators can bring a gift to one of the trees, located in Scottish cities and in London, or donate online.

For a full list of essential items needed, and to make a donation online, visit: social-bite.co.uk/festival-of-kindness/.

• Dundee – Union Street
• Glasgow – Vinicombe Street
• Edinburgh – Castle Street & the Pitt Market, Granton
• London – the Strand, outside Charing Cross station
• Aberdeen – outside the Bon Accord Centre

Josh Littlejohn is founder of homelessness charity Social Bite.

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