Shelter

Shelter is a charity that works to alleviate the distress caused by homelessness and bad housing.

Shelter do this by giving advice, information and advocacy to people in housing need, and by campaigning for lasting political change to end the housing crisis for good.

Buy a house in Shelter's virtual city and help rebuild a life.

Build a city is a virtual online community where users can buy a property in exchange for a donation to Shelter. Properties start from £5, and if you're feeling more adventurous, hotels, department stores and even skyscrapers, complete with helipads,
are available.

	Buy a house, rebuild a life, tell a friend Buy and personalise a new house in the Shelter virtual city for yourself, for a friend or to advertise a business. You can do this right now for as little as £5 and help some of the 1 in 7 children in Britain who are desperate to escape bad housing. Registered Charity No. 263710

Buyers are able to personalise their property with a photo, message and website link. Businesses can even design their own bespoke properties. All purchases will go towards helping those in housing need. For example, a £10 terraced house in the city could pay for a ten minute call to Shelter's free national helpline.

Give as little as £5 per month and make a real difference!

Donations will support our services for people in housing need, and will enable Shelter to campaign for new laws, policies and solutions.

Where the money goes:

• A £10 terraced house could pay for a ten minute call to Shelter's free
  national helpline.
• A £20 Victorian house could pay for a 'starting at school' pack to help a child who has been homeless settle into a new school.
• A £100 Georgian house could help provide a detailed consultation with a trained housing adviser.
• A £500 department store could help run a monthly housing advice surgery in a local community centre.

How do Shelter help?

Shelter offer practical support and expert advice to more than 170,000 people each year. Shelter campaign for new laws and policies that will improve the lives of people in housing need.

• Housing Aid Centres
  A UK-wide network of 28 centres giving face-to-face advice.
• Housing advice helpline
  Taking more than 45,000 calls each year.
• Homeless to Home and Families Projects
  Offering families help in finding and keeping permanent homes.
• Campaigning
  Shelter campaign for new laws and policies that will provide a long term solution to the housing crisis in the UK.

Who do Shelter help?

By buying a part of the Shelter city you can help people like Lisa and her two children.

After escaping her abusive husband, Lisa was forced to move into a hostel with her two children, Natasha and Jake. They had to share one cramped room where shouting and swearing filtered through paper-thin walls. The family lived in these deplorable conditions for fourteen months. Jake became hyperactive, and was so desperate to escape the hostel he deliberately ran in front of a car. He just missed being injured.

In desperation, Lisa contacted Shelter. Shelter immediately got in touch with the authorities to question why the family had been left in temporary accommodation for so many months.

After many letters, phone calls and meetings, the council took action. Today Lisa, Jake and Natasha are living in a safe and permanent home.

Donate to Shelter now >