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It Takes a City

A Cambridge Homelessness Partnership

Our Vision

It Takes a City – A Cambridge Homelessness Partnership - provides a framework and mechanism to enable the city to unite and take action to end rough sleeping in the city due to homelessness.

ITAC aims to unite Cambridge to collaborate and harness resources, leading to lasting change. To do this, we follow two guiding principles:

  • Co-production: People experiencing homelessness and experts by experience will shape the services designed to support them.
  • Collaboration: People from all sectors of our community committed to a shared vision, coming together to make a lasting difference.

ITAC believes everyone living in Cambridge should have:

  • A home which is safe, suitable and sustainable.
  • Person-centred, tailored support for their journey out of homelessness.
  • Protection from violence, abuse, and discrimination.
  • Equality of access to information, education and employment opportunities.
  • Ways to function and flourish within their own community.

Who are we and why are we here?

It Takes A City (ITAC) was established in 2019 in response to the Cambridge Summit on Homelessness, held in November 2018.

ITAC is a small charity with a big reach. It provides services that support some of Cambridge’s most vulnerable rough sleepers and the many with nowhere to call 'Home'.

Crossways is ITAC’s award-winning emergency winter accommodation. It is open 24/7 from November until the end of March each year, providing safety, dignity and comfort for people who would otherwise be on the streets during the winter months.

ITAC work in partnership with a range of agencies to secure longer-term accommodation for their Crossways guests and provide ongoing support via their Survive & Thrive service.

The new Haven service offers a safe, welcoming overnight space for vulnerable women in the city centre two evenings a week. ITAC have plans to open the Haven one afternoons a week from January 2025.

Street Storage is ITAC’s new pilot project (January 2025) to provide safe, secure storage for people sleeping rough or experiencing homelessness in the city. ITAC works with partner agencies to ensure people no longer need to carry their treasured possessions with them, where they risk being stolen, damaged or cleared away.

The Charter to End Homelessness in Cambridge is a major collaborative effort being facilitated by ITAC on behalf of a significant number of partners. The current partners include Local Authorities; VSC organisations; Colleges and Universities; Student Bodies; regional and local NHS organisations; and businesses. The coalition of partners is working towards a public launch in Mid-January 2025 when an even broader range of stakeholders will be encouraged to sign up to the Charter and our 6 Pillars of Change (data; information; housing; person-based support; health & employment).

We could not do any of this important work without the support of the community, including our amazing volunteers and the many groups that collect donations.

If you want to be part of It Takes A City, or to find out more: