U-Turn On Plan To Fine Homeless For Rough Sleeping

It was reported last week that Stoke-on-Trent council was planning to fine rough sleepers up to £1,000 but, after an outcry, they have now seen sense and reversed the decision.

Will Morris, the director of homeless support charity House of Bread, said: “Threatening people with fines is just mad. If it wasn’t serious it would be laughable.” He went on to describe the authority’s plan – which included fining anyone found “assembling, erecting, occupying or using” a tent in an unauthorised area £1,000 – as a “farce”. “It seems like a crass way of dealing with it. Where’s the £1,000 going to come from? It’s not a logical reaction, it’s an overreaction. It says a lot about the unfeelingness of people.”

Stoke-on-Trent’s council is just the latest to face accusations that rather than tackle the root of the problem, the measures would simply punish those who found themselves living on the streets. “Fining or in any way criminalising people simply because they are homeless is wrong,” said Matt Downie, director of policy and external affairs at homelessness charity, Crisis.

“We understand that councils have to strike a balance between the concerns of local residents and the needs of rough sleepers, and where there’s genuine anti-social activity, it’s only right that they should intervene. Yet people deserve better than to be treated as criminals simply because they have nowhere to live.”

Councillor Randy Conteh, cabinet member for housing, communities and safer city, said: “I’d like to stress that we have never fined anyone for being homeless. Our consultation was only ever just that, an opportunity for people to feedback their views on a number of proposals.”

“We have listened to the strength of response and will no longer be including the proposal to fine someone for erecting a tent within the public space protection order area in the city centre. This option should not have been included and we apologise for any distress this has caused.”