Government Says It Will End Rough Sleeping By 2027 – But There’s No New Money
The government has unveiled its £100m strategy to tackle rough sleeping and “help people turn their lives around”, including support for mental health and addictions.
Housing Secretary James Brokenshire vowed to make homelessness “a thing of the past” and the government plans to end rough sleeping by 2027. But Labour says the plan is already “unravelling” as it’s become clear no new money is being invested.
Homelessness has been on the rise for the past seven years, with an estimated 4,750 people sleeping rough on any given night in England in 2017.
The Rough Sleeping Strategy will focus on preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place by offering a range of support. But when questioned on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Brokenshire said half of the promised £100m had already been committed to homelessness and rough sleeping, with the other half “reprioritised” from existing budgets in his department.
“There are significant sums of money being focused and targeted,” he said. Half of that has already been committed to homelessness and rough sleeping. The other remaining half of this is money that’s new to rough sleeping and homelessness, reflecting and recognising the priorities and importance of taxes.” He also denied that government policies were behind the rise in homelessness.
However, shadow housing secretary John Healey said: “The government’s rough sleeping plan has unravelled just hours after it was announced. It’s now clear there is no additional money for the housing department to tackle the crisis of rough sleeping. Rough sleeping has more than doubled since 2010 thanks to decisions made by Tory ministers, but this feeble plan lacks any urgency.” He added that the next Labour government would end rough sleeping within its first term by making 8,000 homes available to those with a history of sleeping on the streets.
According to the BBC news, about £30 million will be spent on mental health help and treatment for substance misuse as part of the proposals, which were developed in conjunction with charities and experts. In addition, the government will put about £50m towards homes outside London for those who are ready to move on from hostels or refuges. Rough sleepers will also be helped to access services and accommodation by a network of specialist “navigators”.
Seven homelessness charities – Crisis, Homeless Link, National Housing Federation, Shelter, St Basils, St Mungo’s and Thames Reach – who advised ministers on the strategy said in a joint statement that it was “a significant step towards the government’s goal of ending rough sleeping by 2027”. However, they added that ministers “must also set out bold, cross-departmental plans to tackle the root causes of all forms of homelessness and prevent it from happening in the first place”.
