Shelter response to announcement on ending rough sleeping

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Sleeping rough can be dangerous and deadly, so it’s absolutely right that the Prime Minister wants to tackle it head on. There is no great secret about what is causing this emergency. As we see in our services day in and day out, most people are tipped into homelessness simply because there are not enough affordable, safe, and secure homes in this country.

“The bottom line is people can’t afford to live anywhere – a problem made infinitely worse by a dire lack of social homes and cuts to housing benefit. On top of this, cuts to local mental health and social care services have removed much needed support for many people in crisis.

“Emergency measures to get people off the streets quickly and housing first pilots can only go so far, if you don’t have the stable homes to back them up. The upcoming budget is the perfect opportunity to future-proof the country against the horrors of homelessness - whether that’s rough-sleeping or families trapped in precarious temporary accommodation - by investing in a new generation of secure social homes.”