TDS Charitable Foundation and partner Crisis shortlisted for Homeless Link Award

We are delighted that the TDS Charitable Foundation and Crisis have been shortlisted in the Unlocking Housing Supply category at the 2026 Homeless Link Excellence Awards. This nomination is a welcome recognition of our partnership’s work to improve access to good-quality private rented homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

Why this partnership matters 

With social housing in short supply, the private rented sector can offer more immediate housing options. Yet for many, access remains out of reach due to unaffordable rents, high upfront costs and reluctance from some landlords to let to people with a history of homelessness. This partnership helps tackle those barriers. 

The TDS Charitable Foundation funds five Housing Access Specialists who help people experiencing – or at risk of – homelessness, secure safe, stable private rented homes. They build trusted relationships with landlords and letting agents, challenge misconceptions about letting to Crisis members and offer tailored support. 

Making an impact 

What makes this partnership stand out is that it doesn’t just focus on finding homes, but on helping members sustain their tenancies too. Since launching the partnership in July 2024, the partnership has now helped 454 people to secure or sustain private rented homes.   

Beyond this, we’re pushing for wider system change to make renting fairer and more accessible. TDS and Crisis are sharing insights from the partnership and using data and evidence to help shape policy, including calls for rent data collection in the upcoming Private Rented Sector Database and for housing benefit to be unfrozen. 

This work matters deeply to TDS because we know the private rented sector can play an important role in preventing homelessness. Dr Jennifer Harris, Head of Policy, Research and Social Impact at the TDS Charitable Foundation, said:  

“Being shortlisted is a welcome recognition of a partnership built on practical action and shared purpose. It reflects the value of working together to remove barriers, support sustainable tenancies and demonstrate that the private rented sector can play a stronger role in ending homelessness.”