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What is ProxyAddress?


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.



ProxyAddress has been featured in:

WiredBBCNew York TimesThe Times

The Evening StandardInside HousingGQBusiness InsiderThe TelegraphThe Scotsman

The Problem

Homelessness is rising

Since 2010, the number of people sleeping rough in the UK has risen by 165%. The use of temporary accommodation has soared too, with over 80,000 households now living under constant risk of being moved on. And there are those whose numbers can't be counted: the 'hidden homeless' - people who move from sofa to sofa to avoid sleeping on the street.

Housing is inaccessible

Since 2010, the amount of government-built social housing has dropped by 97%. Affordable housing is in short supply and housing benefits have been frozen despite rent increases. So today, the biggest cause of homelessness in the UK is now the end of a private tenancy. We need 4 million homes to fix this but buildings take time - time that people don't have.


The effects are serious

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.

The Solution

An address when you need it

Under recent legislation, councils must help all those who face homelessness. But it's hard to help when funding has been cut by 40% since 2010 and homes still aren't available.

What we need is a way to do more for less. 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.

An address that follows you

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.

An address that brings support

ProxyAddress unlocks access to the services needed to regain or retain an independent life. Whatever a person's housing situation, they will still be able to open a bank account, receive post, see a GP, use libraries, get benefits, and apply for jobs.

We've worked with people who have been evicted, been kicked out of family homes, escaped abusive relationships, or have simply faced a run of bad luck. Every person facing this problem has a different story and we work to make sure that one solution can help in each case, no matter the cause.

How it works

Get it

If you're homeless - or within 8 weeks of becoming homeless - you can approach your council who are obliged to help under the Homelessness Reduction Act. It's best to call first to make an appointment but you can go in person if you have nowhere to sleep tonight.

Your council's housing department will guide you through your homelessness application which includes an eligibility check. If your council has partnered with us, you can be issued with a ProxyAddress at this point. As part of this, we also carry out an Amiqus ID verification check. This protects you against fraud and ensures that all the services you need will be available.

Use it

ProxyAddress is an address that follows you. You can think of it as a virtual copy of the original address: it's not a place to stay but it is an address you can use in the meantime to access the services you need such as getting a library card, applying for jobs, opening a bank account, or getting benefits letters.

Because it's linked to you, your post and private information is never confused with the original address. It stays the same no matter how much you move. We've done the complex parts already so, once you've joined, you're ready in a few easy steps.

Update it

You can update your details and postal delivery/collection point online, with a smartphone, or via SMS text. Once you have a ProxyAddress, you can even register for your local library and use their computers to do this. Each ProxyAddress lasts 6 months at first. If you need it for longer, please let your local council know before it expires (we'll remind you about this).

Frequently Asked Questions



General questions:

At present, ProxyAddress is only available in London. This is because we want to make sure that everything works well in real life before rolling the service out nationally. We're doing this by starting with a live trial. It's important to demonstrate that ProxyAddress complies with all relevant anti-fraud regulations so the trial is being carried out as part of the Financial Conduct Authority’s regulatory sandbox - a framework which allows us to test ProxyAddress in a live environment with oversight from financial regulators. More information on the FCA’s regulatory sandbox can be found here.

We hope to make the service available to everybody in 2020. In the meantime, if you'd like to get in touch please get in touch using the contact form below or by sending us an email.
No. ProxyAddress uses the addresses of existing properties only, not the properties themselves. Most empty properties are vacant as a result of the owner not having enough money to do up the property to a level suitable for selling or renting. We're not able to force these owners to repair their properties or open them up to those in need of housing. Instead, ProxyAddress puts these and other properties to immediate use by duplicating their address. Even though it's not the ideal solution of providing a place to live, a ProxyAddress is a vital lifeline to important avenues of support and independence.
No. ProxyAddress is free to those who use it. We believe that facing homelessness is tough enough without having to pay for services that should be available already. Therefore, we work directly with councils to help them meet their statutory obligations under the Homelessness Reduction Act and ensure that their local community can avoid homelessness.

In addition to the huge societal and personal costs faced by those who are homeless, each case of entrenched homelessness costs the public purse £24-30,000 per person per year. With councils budgets cut, the more people that become homeless the more stretched the council is. By preventing people from becoming homeless and helping them recover if they do, ProxyAddress stems the flow of new cases and allows councils to more effectively use their existing resources to help those already entrenched in homelessness and tackle the debilitating issues that this brings.
We have a number of sources for the addresses we use. In every case, this comes with explicit consent of the owner. These include councils, housing associations, real estate companies, and private donations. Our partners are motivated by making a positive social commitment and we allow them to do this quickly with the resources they already have.

In the future, we hope that using the addresses of long-term empty properties for the purpose of ProxyAddress will become a matter of public policy - creating meaningful impact while work is done to turn them back into real homes.
It's important to understand an address and a house as different things. What is an address anyway? It's just a code invented to describe the location of the house. But, by using this information to identify people rather than locations, the system invented to help has started to marginalise those who aren't lucky enough to have a stable home.

It helps to think of the difference between a normal address and a ProxyAddress as being like the difference between a land line phone and a mobile phone. When calling a land line, the first thing the person answering usually tells you is who they are; when calling a mobile phone, the first thing the person answering usually tells you is where they are ('I'm on a train!'). When you call the first person, you know where you're calling but not who; in the second you know who but not where. We say: if addresses are to be used to identify people rather than places when it comes to getting support, then shouldn't the address follow the person like a mobile phone does?

Accessing ProxyAddress:

ProxyAddress is available from your local council. You can approach your council in a number of ways, for example by making an appointment to see them directly, by turning up in person, or by getting a referral from a charity or NHS facility. You can find out how to contact your council at the Shelter website here.

Anybody entitled to council assistance under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 can get a ProxyAddress. This means that you will need to be a UK resident or EEC/EU citizen. You can find some useful guidance on eligibility at the Shelter website here.
You should approach your local council about getting a ProxyAddress. To find your local council and get a link to their website's contact information, please use the Government's 'Find your local council' tool here.
The council don't have to offer housing to everyone who is homeless but they do have to give you assistance under the Homelessness Reduction Act if you're homeless or within 8 weeks of being made homeless. If this applies to you, you can likely get a ProxyAddress.

To be eligible for help under the Homelessness Reduction Act, you need to be a British or Irish citizen living in the UK, an EU citizen working in the UK or with permanent residence, or from outside the EU but allowed to claim benefits. In order to get a ProxyAddress, we also check to make sure that you're not on any watch lists such as the HM Treasury's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. These lists usually relate to concerns about terrorism or political sanctions so are unlikely to affect you.
Ideally, you'll be able to provide some form of ID such as a passport, ID card, or birth certificate. If you don't have these, don't worry - we can refer you to one of our partner organisations who can help. This assistance can include guidance on going through the application process and some money to help pay for the documents.

When you apply for help from your council, they will ask to see as much information as possible to help them understand your situation. In addition to ID, this might include an eviction notice, doctor's letters regarding pregnancy or medical issues, and any records showing your financial situation such as bank statements, wage slips, or proof of benefits.

We understand that accessing these things can be impossible without an address so, if you explain your situation, you should be offered a ProxyAddress to help.
Yes. Your local council is the key place you need to contact to get support from the state. They're also required by law to help as best they can so you can be sure they'll listen to your situation. We understand that dealing with councils isn't always easy - they're trying to do a lot without much funding and this can sometimes be frustrating for everyone involved. This is especially so if you need a home and there aren't enough available to provide one. But even if they can't provide you with a home, with ProxyAddress they can provide you with an address.


Using ProxyAddress:

Once you've joined ProxyAddress, we take care of things. Whether you're using it for banking, health services, getting a job, or anything else, you just use your ProxyAddress like any other. You'll also be given an introduction to using ProxyAddress when you join.

The one thing we do need your help with is making sure that your post is always going to the right place. Because we value your privacy and don't track you in any way, this means that you'll need to update your chosen delivery or collection point whenever you you want to change it. For convenience, this can be done in the app, online (for example, from a library computer), or via SMS text. If you're planning on changing the delivery location a lot, we recommend that you use a fixed collection point such as a homeless shelter or post office. Whichever you choose, your ProxyAddress will look just like a normal residential address so you aren't stigmatised for being in a position of need.
We use existing systems of postal redirection to redirect any post addressed to your name at your ProxyAddress to a place you're staying short term or a collection point of your choosing.

Typically, homelessness makes receiving post very difficult; you can't even get a PO Box without an address. But - whether moving frequently through sofa-surfing, moving at short notice while in temporary accommodation, or using a care-of collection service at a homeless shelter while rough sleeping - with a ProxyAddress you can now use one single address throughout this instability to ensure your mail gets to you.

Your post can be redirected to wherever is most convenient for you. It can follow you from place to place if you're moving frequently or - if you're moving too much for this to work - it can be sent somewhere for you to collect it later such as a PO box (opened using a ProxyAddress), a post office, or a local council office. Unlike other services, this all happens with a standard residential address so you won't be judged for using the service. We can also let you know when post arrives for you via text, email, or the app.

This works much like letters to Father Christmas. Each year, 80,000 UK children send him letters, using Royal Mail’s special address: “Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland XM4 5HQ”. The actual destination is a sorting office in Belfast. But – and this is the point – it could be anywhere. An address doesn't have to be the same as the delivery location.
In most cases, no. We don't believe anyone should suffer stigma as a result of not being able to receive post or using a care-of address. For example, when applying for a job you can use your ProxyAddress like a normal address. Your suitability for the job shouldn't be influenced by your living situation so we make sure that you can apply with a normal residential address.

There are some cases where our partners do need to know, though. This is the case for things like opening a bank account, where strict measures need to be in place to protect against fraud. This is as much for your safety as theirs; we want to make sure that having a ProxyAddress doesn't open you up to exploitation by those looking to launder money through new bank accounts. With our secure system and by working with banking partners, we make sure this doesn't happen.
Each ProxyAddress works for 6 months from the date of issue. You can have it for longer if you need to, just be sure to let your us know before it expires. You can do this online, via the app, or by SMS. If this is the case, it's also a good opportunity to check in with your council and see what additional help they can offer you. We'll be sure to warn you in the weeks before it expires to make sure you don't forget.

If you don't need to keep using it because you now have a stable address, you can simply stop using it. It will expire on its own. In your ProxyAddress account, you can see a list of partner organisations you've used it with during your period of use. You'll need to notify these organisations of your new stable address. We hope to make it possible to automatically notify all of these partners of your new status at the touch of a button but, for now, you can refer to this list as a quick way to know who to tell.
It's important to keep your details up to date with ProxyAddress. If you have somewhere to stay in the short term and you've decided to have your post redirected to that location, updating this location when it changes will be important in making sure you get your mail. But even if you've decided to collect your post from elsewhere, updating your details is still important because a lot of services you will need after your period of instability will look to see what your address history was.

Typically, without a proof of address to access other services, this can leave a gap - a so called 'thin file' which can prevent you from accessing services for years after. By keeping your details up to date with ProxyAddress, we're able to automatically keep a record of these for you. It's a private record that's managed by you but it will help a lot over the coming years if kept up to date.

Updating your details is easy - you can do it online using a library computer (or any other), via the app, or via SMS text.

Impact of ProxyAddress:

We've partnered with some of the best companies and advisers in social-minded finance to make sure that you can open a bank account without a proof of address - something that's vital for receiving benefits, getting a salary, paying bills, or paying in cheques without fees.

To open a bank account you will usually need an ID and a proof of address. Some banks do offer a Basic Bank Account and this is easier to open but the requirements to do so can change depending on the bank, the branch, and even the member of staff you're speaking to. We believe that a person's living arrangements shouldn't stop them from opening a bank account. So with a ProxyAddress, you can now use this instead of a proof of address. And if you're struggling to get ID, we can provide referrals to our partner organisations who can help.

Even if you already have a bank account, when you move around a lot your account can be frozen or closed as a result, especially if any post from the bank gets returned. Using a ProxyAddress you can open and maintain a bank account no matter how much you move. Once a bank account has been opened, the card associated with it can be delivered to your ProxyAddress or collected in branch.
Missing just one letter about your benefits can lead to missed benefits appointments and sanctions. A sanction takes away all benefits for anywhere between 1 month and 3 years. Maintaining correct address information is difficult for the individuals facing instability as well as for the government agencies involved. With ProxyAddress, government agencies no longer need to change the address they send your post to – they always send it to your ProxyAddress which then forwards the mail to your location or pick up point.
Applying for a work without an address can be a challenge. And when a care-of address from a homeless shelter is used it can bring stigma, making it even more difficult to get a reply, let alone an interview or the job itself. With a ProxyAddress, even care-of addresses can be used but with the outward appearance of a standard residential address, helping ensure that if you apply for a job, you’re judged on your own merit.
NHS guidelines state that a GP practice will accept a patient as a temporary resident if they are in the practice area for more than 24 hours and less than three months. There is no requirement to produce ID or a proof of address so the patient must be registered on application unless the practice has reasonable grounds to decline. Lacking ID or a proof of address is not reasonable grounds to refuse to register a patient. Homeless patients can also register with a GP using a temporary address, which may be a friend’s address or a day centre.

However, this is often not what people find when they try. In a recent charity-led test (which you can read more about here), the majority of GP surgeries approached turned away those without a fixed address, despite NHS guidance.

With a ProxyAddress, this obstacle can be avoided and an address provided to the GP to ensure quick access to medical advice. Letters sent by the NHS can also be received through the redirection of mail to your location or your pick up location.

If you have any problems accessing a GP, you can contact your local Healthwatch team which is available to provide assistance about local healthcare issues. You can contact them via email at enquiries@healthwatch.co.uk or by phone on 03000 683 000. You can also find their website here.
By speaking to hundreds of people around the country, we've found lots of ways that having a ProxyAddress can help. This includes:

Library cards: Libraries offer a host of services and support but you need a local address to access them. With a ProxyAddress, you can access nearby public computers, reading material, the internet, and community support groups.

Escaping an abusive relationship: When leaving an abusive relationship, it's common for the abuser to have had control over the household's finances, including a joint bank account and utility bills. Combined with entering a less stable living situation, this can make the journey to independence much harder. Some may even be tempted to return to their abuser just to regain that stability. With a ProxyAddress, the support that's intended to help create a stable and independent life can be brought back into reach.

Big Issue vendors: The Big Issue vendor network has been known to be targeted due to the knowledge that a vendor is likely to carry cash. To help keep their vendors stay safe, The Big Issue are exploring the benefits of providing them with contactless card payments. However, for this to work, the vendors need to have a bank account to tie to the payment machines and this requires an address. At ProxyAddress, we're working with The Big Issue to make opening a bank account without a proof of address an easy and quick process - helping keep safe those most in need.


Security of ProxyAddress:



Our highest priority is to be trustworthy for those who use the service and those who help make it work. Therefore, the protection of private information is of the utmost importance. We're also working directly with regulators to ensure that ProxyAddress meets the very highest standards of security for users and stakeholders. We will make it clear at every step of your journey what personal information is needed and explain, in plain English, exactly why.

ProxyAddress is certified by the UK government cyber security accreditation scheme Cyber Essentials and is GDPR certified under the IASME Governance Standard chosen by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Our ID verification partner, Amiqus ID, is certified by ISOQAR to ISO 27001:2013. It also is certified by Cyber Essentials Plus. We use SHA-256 encryption throughout all ID verification steps. This means that any data input to our systems for verification is securely sent and received. Data is also encrypted at rest when on our servers. Our servers are based within enterprise grade hosting facilities with robust physical security controls including surveillance, monitoring, security staff and regular ongoing audits. We are also committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and complying with the Data Protection Act 2018, as well as our processing obligations under GDPR.

Safety is key for service providers but of paramount importance for users so we also make sure that any risk of exploitation or sense of being uncomfortable is easily reported through clear and accessible alert buttons and contact details. We're here to make sure that people can access the services and support they need and we take their safety and well-being very seriously.
No. Despite the fact that records of properties that have been empty for more than 6 months are public information when owned by commercial entities, we don't use addresses without consent. You can, however, contact us to donate your address and help someone who is homeless.

That said, we would like to see the use of these records for the purposes of ProxyAddress made a part of policy. Under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 2003, the information gathered by councils as part of the Council Tax billing process is allowed to be used to identify empty properties in their area and encourage their return to use. We are advocating for councils to be empowered to use this information as part of ProxyAddress to ensure that, though they might lie empty, these properties don't go unused.
Nobody. Despite our tendency to have a personal attachment to our own addresses, when you buy a house you don't buy the address. An address is made up of the house number and street name (created by the local council) and the postcode (created by Royal Mail). If you aren't concerned with who actually lives there (as we aren't), an address is the most public information in our cities today.

By law, house numbers need to be visible from the street. If you see the number and the street name, you can see the address. Furthermore, an address doesn't need the home owner's consent to be used. If you've ever received or sent a piece of mail to an address where you didn't have an agreement to do so in place beforehand (such as sending a birthday card), you have done exactly that.

The power of ProxyAddress is not just in the addresses we use but the way we use them. The creative concept behind our idea is supported by our bespoke filtering system, application, processing, and partnerships - all of which go towards making ProxyAddress a new and inclusive service for those most in need.
No. There are two ways in which you might think it would: post and financial records/credit scores. But we've designed ProxyAddress so that both of these remain unaffected for the original property and the people who own it. For post, any redirection is made by the combination of name and address, meaning that post sent to the ProxyAddress user is always redirected before it reaches the property. Credit scores are similar: since 2006, amendments to the Consumer Credit Act 1974 mean that credit ratings are not determined by address unless individuals are financially linked - for example, by sharing a mortgage or a joint bank account. The use of the property's address for ProxyAddress has no affect on the original property, its owners, or its property value.
Because our addresses come from a variety of sources, including donated addresses from individuals, it may not be empty to begin with. However, if an empty property that is being used for ProxyAddress stops being empty, no more ProxyAddresses will be issued at this address. Those already in use will continue to be used until the end of their 6 month period and any requested extension will involve the issue of a new ProxyAddress.

When a ProxyAddress is issued, no interaction with the actual property happens: all post is redirected before delivery and, as per the 2006 amendments to the Consumer Credit Act 1974, credit ratings are not determined by address unless individuals are financially linked (such as sharing a bank account). ProxyAddress has little to do with the original property and more to do with being a virtual duplicate of the original address details.

Partners of ProxyAddress:

We enable councils to do more with less. We help them comply with their statutory duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act by making use of resources already available to them.

In addition, we help councils and government departments save time and resource. By giving those facing homelessness a consistent address, this relieves them of the need to maintain constantly-changing databases of contact information. Instead, they simply send correspondence to the one ProxyAddress used throughout a period of instability, helping avoid missed letters and avoid the need for sanctions on those most in need.

By the Government's own figures, the public cost of each case of entrenched homelessness is £24-30,000 per year to say nothing of the human cost. We estimate that if just one person in 10,000 of those using a ProxyAddress is able to escape or avoid entrenchment, then the public purse saves money and makes impact. Not only does this help prevent new cases of homelessness from escalating, it also means that council can focus their efforts on those already experiencing the acute effects of entrenched homelessness.

Finally, we also allow the complex processes of government bureaucracy to become more transparent and trustworthy to those who depend on them.
Banks are expected to comply with the recommendations of the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group when it comes to allowing tolerance on the documentation required to set up a Basic Bank Account. However, while these recommendations are useful, there is no agreed way to best comply. This leads to a fractured and compartmentalised service, with different banks, branches, and members of staff taking different approaches according to the banks' own risk profile and their understanding of what to do.

With ProxyAddress, we're able to provide a low-risk way to make banking more inclusive for all. Using a standardised system that can be applied to a variety of banking structures, this makes things easier for both the financial institutions and the users. By including a range of security measures in the process, compliance with Anti-Money Laundering, Know Your Customer, and Countering the Funding of Terrorism legislation can be achieved with one straightforward approach.
We work with a variety of organisation who provide us with the addresses we use. Whether councils, private individual donations, housing associations, or real estate companies - each has shown a commitment to making our built environment more accessible and inclusive. By helping them fulfil this ambition, ProxyAddress also provides an efficient way to meet their aims for Corporate Social Responsibility in such a way that creates immediate and cost-effective impact.

There are also many organisations and individuals involved in maintaining the accuracy and impact of our address system. These include postal service providers, local government, and Local Land and Property Gazetteer custodians. With ProxyAddress, we're able to take this existing information and use it in a way which creates an accurate, cross-referenced, and live record of addresses that we can then use to create positive impact on the lives of those in need.
We work with charities through both referrals and partnerships to ensure that those affected by homelessness are able to get the help they need. Often, this can be difficult for those looking to help because of the regulations requiring an address at each stage. We help unlock that problem and enable charities to do what they do without unnecessary obstacles.

Furthermore, charities that are yet to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation must comply with regulations set down by both Companies House and the Charity Commission. As such, they must comply with the Companies Act 2006 which stipulates that all members must be recorded on a register which includes both their name and address. This can lead to the exclusion of those affected by homelessness from having direct influence in the organisations that are hoping to help. With ProxyAddress, no having an address need not be an obstacle to direct impact.
We've been lucky enough to partner with lots of inspiring individuals throughout all stages of ProxyAddress. Whether going through homelessness, providing advice, or advocating on our behalf, these people have helped make ProxyAddress what it is today. You can read more about our advisors below. If you'd like to help us in some way, please don't hesitate to get in touch using the contact form below or by sending us an email.

Team



Chris Hildrey

Founder

Chris is an award-winning architect and designer from Liverpool, now based in London. He believes that good design should be socially, economically, and ecologicallly sustainable. He created ProxyAddress to tackle systemic issues faced by those experiencing homelessness. To find out more, you can watch the video below.

Chris has been named a Big Issue Changemaker, an RIBA Rising Star, a Designer in Residence of the Design Museum, and one of the top 100 architects of 2019. His work has recieved awards such as the RIBA President's Medal for Research, a D&AD Impact Award for Humanitarian Aid, and was named one of the Beazley Designs of the Year. He is also Director of design studio, Hildrey Studio, and has spoken on television, radio, and in the Houses of Parliament about the role of design to effect positive social change.







Chris Hancock

Advisory Board Member

Chris is Head of Best Practice at Crisis, leading on direct services and support for organisations to prevent and relieve homelessness across the UK. Within the wider role of Crisis as the UK's national charity for homeless people, Chris has valuable insight into campaigning, lobbying government, undertaking research, and providing all-round support to those facing homelessness.



Tom Copley

Advisory Board Member

Tom is the Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development. He has raised concerns about the lack of housing supply across all types of the private rented sector and the increase in rough sleeping. In 2016 he published Tax Trial which called on the Mayor to seek powers from government to trial a Land Value Tax in part of London. He is also a local councillor in Lewisham representing Sydenham ward.



Cat Drew

Advisory Board Member

Cat is Chief Design Officer at Design Council and has extensive expertise in combining policy making and design. She has previously spent 12 years in government, working across the Home Office, Cabinet office, and No.10, as well as working at UsCreates, now part of FutureGov. Cat has a great eye for seeing how design can transform organisations in a way that makes sense and brings everyone along together.




Martin Coppack

Advisory Board Member

Martin is a Commissioner at the Financial Inclusion Commission - an independent body of experts established to champion financial inclusion as a public policy priority. Previously, Martin was Head of Partnerships at the Financial Conduct Authority where he created its consumer vulnerability and financial inclusion programmes, as well as its model for engaging with consumer and civil society organisations.



Elaine Draper

Advisory Board Member

Elaine is an independent consultant and NED specialising in creating services for vulnerable members of our society. Previously, Elaine was Head of Customer Vulnerability and Accessibility at Barclays where she created and delivered their market leading customer vulnerability strategy. Elaine is passionate about the development of sustainable, scaleable solutions to address financial inclusion.



Jeff Endean

Advisory Board Member

Jeff is Director at Cast Consultancy and previously led the Housing Strategy and Programmes Team at Lewisham Council. His work has included enabling a range of innovative and award-winning approaches to construction and off-site manufacture, and to enabling community-led development. He is passionate about using innovation to address our most pressing problems in the built environment.

Partners

We're proud to have a range of partners and supporters across the charity, private, and public sectors - each of whom help to further our mission of creating fair access to support for all. These include:



Amiqus Monzo Barclays Monese Lewisham Council
999 Club The Big Issue Crisis Action on Empty Homes Arts Council England RIBA Ordnance Survey HM Land Registry RSA Innovate UK Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Downloads



Introduction Leaflet

This gives a quick summary of ProxyAddress that you can print and share in colour or in black and white. The leaflet explains how to access the service and the benefits it can provide. Click on the image above to download.



White Paper

For a more in-depth look at the award-winning research behind ProxyAddress you can read the white paper. The paper describes the context, interviews, and theory behind ProxyAddress. Click on the image above to view at Taylor & Francis Online.



National Survey

To mark the launch of the ProxyAddress pilot in London, we undertook a nationally representative survey into public perception and experiences of homelessness. Click the image above to read the full report.

Press



For media enquiries please contact sarah@proxyaddress.co.uk.

For press releases, videos, and images please visit our press page.


Visit the Press Centre

Latest Press Release

22nd October 2020:

ProxyAddress announces ground-breaking trial for UK homeless as more than 1 in 20 think homelessness likely within six months

ProxyAddress announces the start of its pilot in the London borough of Lewisham today. The pilot - launched with partners including Barclays, Monese, Monzo, Crisis, and The Big Issue - is a landmark step in creating systemic change and will seek to establish ProxyAddress’ compliance with anti-fraud regulations by opening bank accounts using a ProxyAddress in place of a proof of address as part of the Financial Conduct Authority’s regulatory sandbox.


Visit the Press Centre

Contact




Office Address

ProxyAddress,
4th Floor,
Sutton Yard,
65 Goswell Rd,
London EC1V 7EN

Twitter

@proxyaddress

Email Address

hello@proxyaddress.co.uk

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