Rough sleeping a "source of national shame", inquiry finds

As we approach the spring, it’s easy for us to look forward to brighter mornings, getting home while it’s still light outside, and perhaps even a visit to the pub garden. These are reasons for positivity in gloomy February. With that being said, it is still the most difficult time of the year for those in the unfortunate position of sleeping rough. It’s still bitterly cold outside, it still feels dark for most of the day and the levels of homeless and rough sleepers on the streets are still astronomical.

Today, cross-party MPs on the Housing Communities and Local Government Committee (MHCLG) have written to the government to address the rampant levels of rough sleepers, which they describe as a “source of national shame” for the country.

Following the committee’s rough sleeping inquiry, committee chair Florence Eshalomi penned an open letter to homelessness minister Rushanara Ali, and Deputy PM (and housing minister) Angela Rayner, calling for a new approach to tackling the ever-growing problem. The inquiry found that more people were vulnerable to sleeping rough and the government needed to enact a more preventative, rather than reactive, approach to the issue. In the letter, Ms Eshalomi said rough sleeping won’t decrease until preconditions are met, and that continuously invoking emergency responses does not address the wider problem.

Ms Eshalomi said: “The shocking levels of rough sleeping on our streets should be a source of national shame. The seriousness of the rough sleeping emergency must act as a spur to government action which prioritises prevention and which brings forward the right investment and support to fix this crisis.”

She continued by saying that the government should reflect on the “Everyone In” policy of their predecessors during the pandemic, and that section 21 evictions and freezes to local housing allowances are key drivers of the problem.

The “Everyone In” policy mentioned, came into effect in 2020 when the Tory government asked local authorities in England to “help make sure we get everyone in”, including those who would not normally be entitled to assistance under homelessness legislation. According to the House of Commons Library, by January 2021, 11,263 people were in emergency accommodation and 26,167 people had moved on into settled accommodation or supported housing.

To the credit of the Starmer government, they announced earlier this year that “no-fault” evictions would be scrapped through the passing of the Renters Rights Bill, and this is expected to succeed this year.

As part of their manifesto, Labour also promised to build 1.5million new homes in their first five years, and the committee recommended that the government build more social housing as part of the quota. This is a recommendation we at FPH would also like to vouch for.

Ms Eshalomi’s also pointed out the notion of punishing people with addiction issues by removing shelter is not a viable solution. She said: “Individuals who are struggling with severe health and addiction issues should not be ‘punished’ by withholding housing and other support on the basis that they are not clean of substances at the time of seeking support.”

As a charity dealing in this exact scenario, FPH uniquely understands the point being made. While you cannot simply house people, so they have the ability to abuse substances indoors rather than outside, simply removing the prospect of shelter for people suffering from addiction is not the solution by any means. There needs to be support available for the vulnerable and suffering.

In response, a spokesperson for the MHCLG said: “We have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory, which is why we are taking urgent and decisive action to end homelessness for good. We recently tripled the winter pressures funding to £30million this year, helping councils support the most vulnerable, while also tackling the root causes of homelessness by committing £1billion in additional support for homelessness services and emergency accommodation.”

They went on to say that the government remained committed to building 1.5 million new homes, including social housing and reaffirmed their commitment to abolishing section 21 evictions under the Renters Rights Bill.

There is obviously a lot to unpack on what the committee refer to as the “housing emergency”, but as the Big Issue point out, the government has begun to change their approach to a more preventative outlook. They point out that of the £1billion pledged, £192million will be allocated to the homelessness prevention grant.

 So, what can we take away from the day’s events?

Firstly, this issue has gained significant media attention on the day of the findings. This is obviously positive as the issue needs to remain in the headlines and a point of discussion among the electorate for pressure to be exerted on the government.

Secondly, the committee had cross-party support. These days, it feels like bipartisanship is seldom seen in Parliament, so the fact it has garnered interest and support from across the benches means it cannot be ignored.

 Lastly, this was not a rambling letter, scathing the government with no realistic proposals for reform. This was a recognition of a seismic problem, with realistic solutions and recommendations. Angela Rayner, Rushanara Ali and Keir Starmer would be wise to strongly consider them.