The 13 Houses Jubilee Project is a Famvin Homeless Alliance special initiative aligned with the Church’s Jubilee Year 2025 under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.“
Pope Francis has chosen the 13 Houses in Syria as one of his “concrete gestures of charity” for the Jubilee Year.
He supported the Vincentian Family efforts to give hope back to thirteen families in Syria, highlighting a forgotten crisis which continues to affect so many families.
Theme
“Pilgrims of Hope, Journeying Together to End Homelessness.”
Together, as Pilgrims of Hope, we can make a significant difference in changing the lives of those who are experiencing homelessness worldwide.
Goal
To raise awareness and invite the Vincentian Family worldwide and the wider Church to take an active part in the fight against homelessness.
Reach
To reach at least 13 new countries in which the Vincentian Family works and serves, symbolizing the hope of ending homelessness, one family at a time.
Can hope transform lives?
The Vincentian Family wanted to celebrate the Jubilee of Hope alongside some of those who need it most: people experiencing homelessness. This shared dream gave birth to the 13 Houses Jubilee Project. The project aimed to span thirteen countries and five continents, with one shared goal: to offer not only a roof but also a new future.
This project was not just about building houses; it was about building communities and opening paths of hope. We’ve seen the message of hope become a tangible reality on every continent through a network of diverse projects.
Australia
The project led by the SSVP aims to provide a home for a family in need, focusing on creating a stable and supportive living environment for those facing poverty. The house is purchased and being properly equipped.
Brazil
Since 2020, 13 Houses project in Curitiba has built 14 houses and renovated 5 more. Led by the Daughters of Charity, this Jubilee project will build 4 more houses and incorporate empowering components such as educational opportunities and employment support. Construction has started.
Cambodia
Led by the Daughters of Charity in rural Cambodia, the project focuses on improving access to safe and adequate housing, clean water, education, and dignity for marginalized communities. It is part of a wider project that improves housing for 10 families. The work on the water installations at the school has started.
Central African Republic
Led by the Congregation of the Mission (CM) in the Central African Republic, the project’s main objective is to build 20 homes for families currently living in dilapidated straw houses in an isolated village. The building of the houses has begun.
Chile
In the first VF Chile collaborative project for poor people, the “Pequeño Refugio” (Little Refuge) initiative addresses to the approximately 70 migrant families affected by fires in Viña del Mar back in February 2024, aiming to improve their living conditions, with what they requested: a communitary kitchen and a daycare center for their children. Installations will be complete this month.
Costa Rica
A collaboration between a new Vincentian branch, Matrimonios Vicentinos, and the CM, the project aims to provide a safe and dignified home for a migrant self-entrepreneur seamstress and her two children, extracting her from a high-risk neighborhood marked by social conflict, crime, and abuse, to a safer area that ensures the children’s protection and future development. A partnership with St John’s University was born at the FHA Conference in Manila, and the local fundraising is well underway.
Italy
The “Abba Father” project in Catania, run by the CM aims to support separated fathers by addressing the unique challenges they face in a region marked by high unemployment and a precarious labor market. The initiative aims to provide temporary accommodations to fathers needing a stable condition, in order to be granted visiting rights. A symbolic ceremony to launch the project took place on the Feast of St. Joseph, 19 March 2025, which in Italy is also Father’s Day.
Senegal
The Daughters of Charity are building 9 “Houses of Hope” in Fatick, a small village for families in urgent need of improved housing conditions. The project also facilitates access to education for children and promotes the development of small local businesses. Some families have received their homes already.
Syria
In accordance with the VF, the CM of Syria conduct the project to renovate severely damaged houses of four families in different parts of Syria affected by the war, hoping to restore not only shelter but also hope and a sense of stability, enabling families to work towards self-sufficiency and a better future. The political changes of December 2024 created challenges for the initial project. However, the renovation works will start soon. This Vincentian initiative was chosen by the late Pope Francis to be one of the gestures of charity of the Jubilee.
Tanzania
Led by the CM, the project aims to build a secure and sustainable home for a vulnerable family of ten in a remote area of Tanzania to provide a safe, stable home that supports children’s education, health, and overall well-being. The works on the new home have just started.
Tonga
Organized by the SSVP of this island of the Pacific, the project’s primary objective is to provide a vulnerable family with a secure and resilient home, alleviating their psychological and physical distress caused by their unsafe living conditions. Additionally, it includes a livelihood component, enabling the family to grow fruits and vegetables to support their self-sufficiency. The local fundraising is well advanced to complete the project.
Ukraine
Under very difficult circumstances, the Ukrainian VF has come together to propose a Jubilee project in Kyiv. The project’s primary goal is to offer safe temporary accommodation to 100 individuals annually. Residents will receive social, psychological, legal, and employment assistance, fostering independence and a sense of community, helping them to transition to formal housing. Cities in Ukraine are under constant attack, meaning every step of the project is a challenge. However, the VF is staying united and focused on their efforts and aim to deliver the project by the end of this year.
United Kingdom
‘St Vincent Mews’ is steered by Depaul UK to transform the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness by providing high-quality accommodation in a supportive environment. Comprising thirteen properties with well-furnished rooms, the initiative offers 24/7 staff support to help residents transition from street life to independent living. It was inaugurated in 2024.
History & Milestones
2018 | The "13 Houses" Campaign
Inspired by the work of St Vincent de Paul, the campaign was launched. The initiative aimed to improve and transform the lives of 10,000 homeless people worldwide in 5 years from 2018.
2022 | "Sheltering
At the World Day of the Poor 2022, we had the joy to witness the blessing of the Sheltering statue by Pope Francis, who encouraged us to journey with our homeless brothers and sisters.
The statue is a constant reminder of the plight of people experiencing homelessness.
People Empowered
2023 | 10,000 People Empowered
In November 2023, the Campaign reached its target. In five years, 10,000 people have been empowered with homes and livelihood opportunities
2024 | 13 Houses Jubilee Project
In September, the 13 Houses Jubilee Project, to be implemented in 13 countries by September 2025, is announced.
2024 | Blessing of 13 Keys
In November, Pope Francis blessed symbolic keys that represent projects in 13 countries.
2025 | Homeless Families’ Pilgrimage
13 families who benefited from the 13 Houses Jubilee Project visited Rome around the World Day of the Poor, representing all the families who journeyed out of homelessness through the 13 Houses Campaign.
What must be done to end homelessness?
Get involved with the 13 Houses Campaign
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News About the 13 Houses Jubilee Project
A new home, a new beginning for Nadia and her child
Saint Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia (SVDPSHA) has been a proud partner of the 13 Houses Campaign since its inception. As part of the Jubilee Project, the Society recently purchased a modern two-bedroom unit in Western Sydney, providing a safe, stable, and...
Twenty houses to restore hope: A CM’s project in Boganangone
In Boganangone, a village in the Central African Republic, hope is slowly transforming lives thanks to an ambitious project launched by the Lazarist Fathers (Pères Lazaristes, the name given to the Congregation of the Mission in some French-speaking countries). Twenty...
In Tanzania, a home becomes a tangible sign of hope
In Mpepai parish, Ruvuma region of Tanzania, the 13 Houses Jubilee project led by Vincentian Fathers is nearing completion. This project will change the lives of one vulnerable family of ten. The family, which includes eight children, will soon have a safe and...
After the Fire: Empowering Parents, Protecting Childhood in “Pequeño Refugio”, Viña del Mar
In the city of Viña del Mar, the Naciones Unidas Camp has emerged, which is a settlement made up mostly of migrant families. After the devastating fire of February 2024, these families were left without homes, but not without hope. Accompanied by the Vincentian Family...
13 Houses Jubilee Project: Vincentians spreading hope
A little bit over a year ago, Pope Francis published the Bull of Indiction of the 2025 Jubilee of the Church. In it, he invited everyone to “be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind” because, citing the...
Water, education and dignity: a story from rural Cambodia
In many remote rural villages in Cambodia, access to clean water remains a daily struggle. Despite national progress in water and sanitation, entire communities still rely on unsafe sources such as ponds or shallow wells, and many face health challenges linked...
About the Church’s Jubilee of Hope (2025)
The Papal Bull (Jubilaeum2025.va)
The official Jubilee App “Iubilaeum25”
The Jubilee 2025 Logo
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