Thangam Debbonaire responds to rough sleeping figures

“Nobody should be sleeping rough, especially during a pandemic.

“The Government promised to bring ‘everyone in’ but even these partial figures show 2,688 people spent this pandemic on the streets. It is extremely concerning they have not repeated the emergency support for rough sleeping that was in place during the first lockdown.

“There is a real risk that gains made last year will be lost. We came into this crisis with twice as many rough sleepers as in 2010. Almost 1,000 people died while homeless in 2020. We cannot return to business as usual. The Government must address the causes of homelessness, and end rough sleeping for good.”