|TOP|Churches up and down the country are busy preparing for Homelessness Sunday 2006 which will take place on Sunday 29 January.

Homelessness Sunday is an annual event run by the Homelessness Sunday Partnership which includes Housing Justice and Scottish Churches Housing Action.

The day aims to bring together thousands of churches across the UK in drawing attention to the devastating effects of homelessness.

This year’s Homelessness Sunday 2006 will take place under the motto, “Build Happiness, Stop Homelessness”, focussing on how we can build happiness through the prevention of homelessness.

|QUOTE|Homelessness Sunday is an opportunity for churches to present the work they are doing to prevent homelessness within the community.

Homelessness Sunday 2005 saw thousands of churches take part in special services, sleep outs, bed-hops, art exhibitions, collections of sleeping bags, blankets and starter pack items, as well as fundraising through sponsorship and appeals.

This year, the organisers are hoping for an even bigger engagement, with Homelessness Sunday 2006 Resource Packs already available, providing churches with useful facts, worship materials and ideas.

Christian homelessness charity Housing Justice reacted to the publication of the statutory homelessness figures last month by calling on churches to take practical measures to prevent homelessness.

|AD|Government figures revealed that for the fifth quarter in a row, more than 100,000 families in England and Wales are homeless and living in temporary accommodation, with their estimated 150,000 children.

Director of External Affairs at Housing Justice Alison Gelder commented: "Housing Justice is calling on churches to build happiness by taking practical action to prevent homelessness."

"We know many churches are already picking up the pieces of broken lives by helping homeless people who fall outside the government's statistics - single men, destitute asylum seekers and people from countries like Poland who have come here to work and fallen on hard times."

"We don't want churches to do the government's job for them but where there are actions we can take we should do them.

"Whether it is by helping people to stay in their homes through befriending, supporting housing and debt advice services or by encouraging the building of appropriate and affordable housing in our local areas churches have a role to play in preventing homelessness."