Lib Dems: New figures show huge cost of Tories' failure to prevent homelessness

Responding to new figures from the King’s Fund showing a steep increase in the number of hospital admissions related to homelessness, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said:
 
“These figures show the appalling extent of homelessness across our country. They also make clear the huge cost of this Conservative Government’s failure to invest in preventing homelessness, because it leads to more people needing to be treated to hospital.
 
“The Government must act urgently to eliminate rough sleeping and other forms of homelessness. They must take a more compassionate and holistic approach, starting by scrapping the Vagrancy Act, a Dickensian law that criminalises rough sleeping in England and Wales. The answer to ending rough sleeping is not to arrest those doing it.”
 
ENDS
 
Notes to editors
 
According to the King’s Fund [LINK]:
“In 2018/19, 27,883 people were admitted to hospital in England with a primary or secondary diagnosis of homelessness, up from 24,500 in 2017/18. Since 2013/14 there has been a 130 per cent increase in hospital admissions related to homelessness.”
 
‘Delivering health and care for people who sleep rough’, published today by the King’s Fund, is available here.