A Supreme Court court case could change the way councils decide if someone is ‘vulnerable’ enough to be re-housed, homeless charities are warning.
Crisis and Shelter say councils are wrongly refusing to house vulnerable people such as those with learning disabilities or those fleeing domestic violence. They have now intervened in a legal case to be held 15 December which could change the way a person’s ‘vulnerability’ is assessed.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: ‘Local councils are wrongly refusing to help homeless people who come to them in desperate need as they do not consider them to be ‘vulnerable enough’.
‘This has led to many people being turned away to sleep on the streets. The average age of death for a homeless person is just 47 – a shocking state of affairs in 21st century England. If the Supreme Court addresses this longstanding injustice, and people are judged fairly when they ask for help from their local council, protection for homeless people could be greatly improved.’
An investigation by Crisis earlier this year found many homeless people were getting little or no support from their local council.