MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing
Secretary, responding to the government
announcement on funding for homelessness services
said:
"This is too little, too late for the thousands of people
sleeping on our streets this Christmas.
"Rough sleeping has more than doubled since 2010 as a
direct result of decisions made by Conservative Ministers,
including cuts of £1 billion a year from vital homelessness
services.
"Homelessness always rises under the Tories. It will take a
Labour Government to end rough sleeping for good."
ENDS
Notes to Editor
Research for the charities Homeless Link and St Mungo's has
revealed £1bn year in cuts to homelessness services under the
Conservatives:
https://www.homeless.org.uk/connect/news/2019/apr/24/charities-call-on-government-to-fix-%C2%A31bn-hole-in-homelessness-services
The number of people sleeping rough has more than doubled
since 2010, to almost 5,000 on any one night:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2018
Last year, 726 people died homeless in England and Wales,
an increase of 50% in just five years:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsofhomelesspeopleinenglandandwales/2018
Labour pledged to make good the £1bn cut to homelessness
services in its 2019 housing manifesto:
https://labour.org.uk/housingmanifesto
