Government’s target means waiting almost a decade to deal with rough sleeping crisis, says Healey

Monday, 13 August 2018 00:01

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary, commenting on the Government’s rough sleeping strategy, said: “This is a feeble plan that lacks any urgency to tackle the crisis of rising rough sleeping. “The scale of the problem is clear today but the Government’s target means waiting almost a decade to deal with this crisis. “The funding announced will barely...Request free trial

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary, commenting on the Government’s rough sleeping strategy, said:

“This is a feeble plan that lacks any urgency to tackle the crisis of rising rough sleeping.

“The scale of the problem is clear today but the Government’s target means waiting almost a decade to deal with this crisis.

“The funding announced will barely register compared to the reckless Conservative cuts to affordable housing, social security benefits and homelsssness services that have caused this crisis.

“If Ministers believed this was a serious plan they wouldn’t be burying it in mid-August.

“The next Labour government will end rough sleeping within our first term in office, making 8,000 homes available for people with a history of rough sleeping.”

Article in The Guardian:

£100m drive to end rough sleeping in England by 2027

A £100m government drive will aim to end rough sleeping in England by 2027. The new strategy, being launched by James Brokenshire, the communities secretary, on Monday, will offer help with mental health and addictions, as well as targeted support to get rough sleepers off the streets and into long-term accommodation.

Brokenshire acknowledged that efforts to tackle homelessness had “not been good enough” and said he wanted to see quick progress in reducing the estimated 4,751 people sleeping rough on any given night in England.

He told the Sunday Times the growing number of people sleeping on the streets was not consistent with “the type of country, the type of society that I profoundly believe we are”.

Brokenshire said: “To see that number of people on the streets isn’t good enough. We need to make progress quickly with the new strategy.

“We shouldn’t punish people for being homeless. This strategy is about how we can support people, how we can direct, and yes, sometimes challenge, some of those who are living rough to get into those services that will help make a difference.”

The new strategy will take a three-pronged approach of prevention, intervention and recovery. About £30m will be spent on mental health and treatment for the misuse of substances, including the synthetic cannabinoid spice.

Swift support will be offered to those in crisis, with the aim of keeping them from ending up on the streets in the first place. And trained helpers called navigators will provide individual help to rough sleepers in accessing services and accommodation, backed by £10m in resources.

Ministers are also expected to review legislation on homelessness and rough sleeping, including the Vagrancy Act, which dates back to 1824 and still makes it illegal to sleep rough or beg in England and Wales.