The forecast said -3°C.
Cold enough to kill someone who isn’t prepared. For anyone who knows the homeless—especially those who count them as friends or kin—that kind of cold brings deep concern. Khabeer—not his real name—isn’t just homeless. He’s living with physical pain and battling mental illness, carrying a doctor’s note that spells out the risks to his health if he stays on the streets.
And yet, in normal conditions, the council says they have no duty of care. He’s stuck in limbo—unable to access benefits but not required to leave the country. Vulnerable. Scared. With almost no options.
When the weather turns extreme, though, the rules shift. The council can step in to offer emergency overnight accommodation—keeping people safe, preventing serious illness or worse. It’s a glimpse of something good, of a society that still remembers how to show kindness and compassion to those in need. When it works, it’s beautiful.
Khabeer tried to sort it himself, heading to the housing office. They told him to come back with a support worker. The next time, I went with him. I stayed as he checked in, but I was called away for something urgent. Before I left, the council worker reassured me: “If you stay here, sit in this chair, you’ll get a call. Don’t worry, we’re busy, but you won’t be on the street tonight.”
It seemed settled. But that evening, my phone rang. It was Khabeer, using someone else’s phone, his voice full of worry. While he had waited, a fire alarm had gone off. By the time he returned to the building, he was told there was no provision for him after all.
And this is where 'Lighthouse' steps in. We couldn’t bear the thought of him back out there in that bitter cold. So, we provided emergency overnight accommodation for a number of nights. Since April, we’ve provided well over 100 nights of emergency accommodation to those in desperate need. This costs money—but love is costly. Love looks like something.
We don’t know what the future holds for Khabeer. He’s still in that difficult limbo. But one thing we do know is this: the Church is at its best when it moves toward the vulnerable. When it reflects the heart of Jesus—full of love and compassion—it makes a difference.
- Jon Swales, 2024
If you would like to support the work of Lighthouse financially please follow the link.
Lighthouse West Yorkshire
Registered Charity Number: 1164239
Cooperative Bank.
Sort Code: 089299
Account Number: 65784099
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