Salvation Army Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant, said: “The Salvation
Army welcomes the conclusions of the interim report from the
Kerslake Commission on Rough Sleeping and Homelessness, and
agrees that if the Government acts now, it can build on the
amazing progress made by the ‘Everyone In’ scheme during the
pandemic, which took rough sleepers off the streets and saved
lives.
“The 'Everyone In' campaign represents one of the most positive
recent developments in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping.
We believe that this is an encouraging sign of the Government's
commitment to eradicating rough sleeping, but they must act now.
“Recent data from the Combined Homelessness and Information
Network (CHAIN) shows that more than 11,000 people were recorded
as rough sleeping in London in 2020/2021. This represents a three
per cent increase on the previous year, and a 94% increase in the
last decade. Much more needs to be done to ensure the long-term
legacy of the 'Everyone In' campaign.
“Long term solutions are needed to avoid spiralling costs and
rising numbers of homeless people, once the furlough scheme and
other government support finishes at the end of September. We
agree with the commission that the £20 uplift in Universal Credit
should be kept, and that homelessness prevention strategies need
further investment.
“Effectively tackling homelessness requires more than just
providing housing, Services must help people who need support to
tackle the wider issues that lead to homelessness, including
addiction, debt, unemployment, and mental ill health.
“Schemes like Housing First offer that essential wraparound
support, and so we were pleased to see the Commission highlight
the importance of the Housing First approach. We have seen
first-hand how effective combining housing with support is with
our Housing First programmes in Scotland and Wales.
“The Salvation Army have also proved that innovative housing
solutions like Malachi Place, a modular building project, are
cost effective ways of targeting homelessness. We would like to
see these projects extended to other areas.
“As this report makes clear, £370,000 could be saved if 40,000
people were prevented from experiencing homelessness for a year.
This shows that investing in homelessness services makes economic
as well as moral sense.
“The Salvation Army agrees that we are at a pivotal moment and
the government has the opportunity to ensure the abolition of
rough sleeping becomes a major part of their legacy. As the
Kerslake Commission makes clear, this is a turning point where
that commitment must start to become a reality.”
