‘A story that desperately needed to be told‘ – Michael Sheen

Tony froze to death in the garden of the house he used to own. Aisha dreams of becoming a nurse, but spends night after night seeking a place to sleep. Jon is an expert at squatting, using his skills to keep others off the street. Jim turned a bus he bought on eBay into a portable shelter. David was a homeless army veteran on the verge of taking his own life when he was saved by Gavin’s kindness, now he’s a successful artist and activist.

Maeve McClenaghan has spent years investigating the crisis on Britain’s streets. These are only some of the stories of struggle, loss, survival and courage she has heard. No Fixed Abode will change how you think about homelessness and show you that this crisis is not impossible to solve.

This paperback edition includes a new preface covering the impact of Covid-19.

‘A much-needed antidote to the apathy that can often surround homelessness. It is movingly told, passionately argued and totally engrossing‘ – i

‘Urgent, gripping and devastating’ – The Secret Barrister

This book will finally give a face and a voice to those we so easily forget in our society. It will tell the highly personal, human and sometimes surprisingly uplifting stories of real people struggling in a crumbling system. By telling their stories, we will come to know these people; to know their hopes and fears, their complexities and their contradictions. We will learn a little more about human relationships, in all their messiness. And we’ll learn how, with just a little too much misfortune, any of us could find ourselves homeless, even become one of the hundreds of people dying on Britain’s streets.

As the number of rough sleepers skyrockets across the UK, No Fixed Abode by Maeve McClenaghan will also bring to light many of the ad-hoc projects attempting to address the problem. You will meet some of the courageous people who dedicate their lives to saving the forgotten of our society and see that the smallest act of kindness or affection can save a life.

This is a timely and important book encompassing wider themes of inequality and austerity measures; through the prism of homelessness, it offers a true picture of Britain today – and shows how terrifyingly close to breaking point we really are.