Established in 2017 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Vincentian Charism, the Famvin Alliance focuses on creating innovative and sustainable solutions to improve the lives of the homeless through a global support network. Their “13 Houses” initiative aims to replicate Saint Vincent de Paul’s legacy by directly and structurally aiding over 10,000 homeless people in 156 countries, driving significant change in the fight against homelessness.

In 2022, in the occasion of the VI World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis blessed “Refuge”, a sculpture that promotes the “13 Houses Campaign” of the Vincentian Family. © Photo by Vatican Media.

The Famvin Homeless Alliance (FHA) is a Vincentian Family global initiative supporting established and emerging homelessness initiatives across the globe.  We understand homelessness as those living on the street, refugees and those displaced from their home, and slum dwellers in inadequate housing.

Our vision is a world where everyone has a place to call home and a stake in their community.

The FHA was set up in 2017 to mark the 400th anniversary of the Vincentian Charism. The Vincentian Family is a global Catholic movement rooted in the spirituality and example of St Vincent de Paul, with a membership of over two million people.

What we do:

Improve and Transform the Lives of Homeless People

Develop practical, long-term and innovative responses to the needs of homeless people with a focus on slum dwellers, refugees and internally displaced people.

Utilise the global Vincentian presence, and potentially other faith groups, to respond more effectively to global crises.

Build Global Capacity in the Vincentian Family

Share Vincentian expertise through international conferences and workshops and the development and usage of best practice networks such as the IGH’s Communities of Impact with a focus on social impact, sustainability and innovation

Develop partnerships and networks beyond the Vincentian Family and across the Church to multiply the impact of the work of the FHA and Vincentian Family.

Encourage Structural Change

Support structural change at United Nations level to ensure sustainable futures for people who are street homeless, displaced or living in slums.

Support local advocacy across the globe to encourage structural change at grassroots level.

Community Engagement

Develop strategies to effectively spotlight expertise and facilitate developments at grassroots level.

Communication for social change

We will raise awareness of the plight of homeless people, slum dwellers and displaced people and effective responses to their needs.

Support effective communication across the Vincentian Family by actively pursuing/utilising all available communication channels.

You can download our full Strategic Plan here or a shortened version in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese.

The 13 Houses Campaign

The 13 Houses Campaign is a Famvin Homeless Alliance initiative and aims to improve and transform the lives of 10,000 homeless people around the world in 3-5 years from 2018. More than that, we want to see 13 Houses projects in each of the 156 countries where the Vincentian Family works!

It started when Vincent was assigned the equivalent of one million dollars by Louis XIII as an endowment for his Congregation’s mission in 1643. Vincent chose to use the money to build 13 small houses close to Saint-Lazare, the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission, to care for abandoned children. The ongoing costs of these houses were supported by the Ladies of Charity while the Daughters of Charity cared for the children. By working together the Vincentian Family helped thousands of children who would have otherwise died on the streets.

But this Vincentian partnership did so much more for homeless people. It delivered aid to displaced people in the war zone of Alsace Lorraine and supported and housed refugees fleeing from the battle zone. It provided the Name of Jesus Hospice in 1652 to shelter, clothe, feed and train older people living on the streets or in the slums of Paris. It was responsible for the launch of Les Petites Ecoles (the little schools) that brought the gifts of literacy, numeracy and education to the poor – enabling them to escape the inter-generational poverty that so often ended in homelessness.

We were inspired by Vincent’s 13 houses. He saw a need and responded with concrete action. Today, we are confronted with the same problems that Vincent faced, but on a global scale. Of the 7 billion people on this planet almost 1.2 billion are homeless – they have been displaced, live in slums or on the streets of our cities. Many of them are turned away in their greatest time of need – a stark reminder of those words that dampen the joy of Luke’s infancy narrative: “There was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

The 13 Houses Campaign has been created in response to this reality; learning and borrowing from the work of St Vincent himself.

Download our 13 Houses Booklet to learn more about the Campaign in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish or Chinese (Simplified and Traditional).

Get involved!!

Help us end homelessness – One house at a time.

Contact:

• Phone: + 44 (0)20 3948 9872
• Email: fha.info@famvin.org
• Web: https://vfhomelessalliance.org/

Click on the image below to access all the information about the Second Convocation of the Vincentian Family, November 14-17, 2024 in Rome, Italy: