Home secretary Suella Braverman has said she wants to stop homeless people ‘causing noise and distress’ by pitching tents in public places.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Suella Braverman said: ‘We will always support those who are genuinely homeless.
‘But we cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice.’
She added: ‘What I want to stop, and what the law abiding majority wants us to stop, is those who cause nuisance and distress to other people by pitching tents in public spaces, aggressively begging, stealing, taking drugs, littering, and blighting our communities.’
Labour’s shadow levelling up, housing and communities secretary, Angela Rayner, said: ‘Rough sleeping is not a “lifestyle choice”.
‘A toxic mix of rising rents and failure to end no-fault evictions is hitting vulnerable people.
‘After years of delay the Tories are failing on their promises. Now after 13 years, they’re blaming homeless people rather than themselves.’
The chief executive of homelessness charity Shelter, Polly Neate, said: ‘Nobody should be punished for being homeless.
‘Homelessness happens when housing policy fails and boils down to people not being able to afford to live anywhere.
Ms Neate added: ‘Not only should everyone facing the streets be given somewhere safe to stay without question, but the Government must also end the cruel freeze on housing benefit and deliver a new generation of affordable social homes.’
