Developed by British architect and former Archinect school blogger Chris Hildrey, ProxyAddress recently announced the start of its pilot in the London borough of Lewisham today. The service uses the duplicated address details of existing homes to provide those facing homelessness with a consistent, secure, and free address which they can use to access the support they need.

Mayor of Lewisham Damien Egan said of the project: "I’m really proud that Lewisham will be the first local authority to trial this new service, which will make it much simpler for homeless people to access the services they need to get back on their feet.

"With the government having ended its ban on evictions, the pilot couldn’t be happening at a more important time and I’m pleased that Lewisham will be leading the way on tackling homelessness and inequality."

ProxyAddresses are provided with explicit consent from property owners - including councils, housing associations, housing developers, private donations, and some of the 225,000 long-term vacant homes in England.

As the initiative website outlines, having an address in Britain is more than just an address, "it’s a de facto form of ID; without one, people experiencing homelessness can be prevented from accessing vital services like maintaining or opening a bank account, applying for a job or a driving licence, accessing benefits, receiving post, or even registering with a GP."

Chris Hildrey said in a statement: "Nobody should be left alone or without recourse to help in times of need. The action already taken to help rough sleepers during the Covid-19 pandemic is a silver lining to a tragic situation but there remains a systemic barrier to helping those facing all types of homelessness: instability. Until stable housing and wrap-around support is available for all we need to find innovative ways to help those trapped in precarious situations. Now, more than ever, we have a duty to provide a lifeline to those most in need."