Proxy Address

ProxyAddress uses duplicated addresses to connect those facing homelessness with support. Watch the video below or read on to find out more.

An address is no longer just a location - it's now a de facto means of identification. This means that if a person becomes homeless they are immediately cut off from the basic services they need to recover. The ability to apply for jobs, receive benefits, open a bank account, receive post: all are placed out of reach at the point they are needed most. Those who might have otherwise got back on their feet with a little early support are instead left to become entrenched in the situation and develop more complex and care-intensive needs over time. ProxyAddress provides a stable address throughout this period of instability. Using existing data, we create and provide a consistent 'proxy' address that can be used to access services regardless of location or how often you move.

Homelessness brings instability. And without a stable address, access to the support needed to escape homelessness is lost. A person's safety net is snatched away at the point they need it most because of the very problem it was meant to help solve. This can cause complex health issues that are harder to recover from than avoid. The system is failing those who need it most.

ProxyAddress makes use of the homes we already have in an affordable and immediate way: by duplicating the address data of existing properties and assigning it to those in need. Each ProxyAddress is provided through the council so it's free to those who use it.

With over 270,000 long-term empty homes in the UK, these addresses - as well as those donated by partner organisations - provide plenty to go around. Because it's a copy of an address, a ProxyAddress can be tied to a person, not a place, so it stays the same no matter how much you move.

A ProxyAddress acts as a gateway between you and the world. For others, it looks like a stable address; for the user, it provides privacy, security, and removes stigma.