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Encourage your service users to register to vote
When homeless people are on the electoral register it encourages politicians to take their concerns seriously. It's much easier than you may think for homeless people to register to vote.
Previously, the need for an address at which to register was a major barrier to registration. But now a homeless person can make a declaration of local connection to enable them to register to vote. S. 6 of The Representation of the People Act 2000 sets out a prescribed format for the declaration, which must include among the standard requirements, a required address which is: the address of, or which is nearest to, a place in the UK where he (sic) commonly spends a substantial part of his time (whether during the day or at night). This could be, for example, a day centre or rough sleeping site.
The Act also introduces a "rolling register" which means that electoral registers will be updated monthly rather than annually.
People wishing to register should approach their local Electoral Registration Officer, who is based within each borough.
Hostel managers should be watching out for the annual canvass returns for all their residents.
You may also want to think of ways that you, and Homeless Link, could promote electoral registration of homeless people, including use of day centres and other facilities as addresses, and work with local registration officers.
Find out how to register and download a form