Homelessness

• Whitehall’s ‘hostile environment’ puts children in danger, charity says

  The Government’s commitment to creating a ‘hostile environment’ for migrants outweighs their commitment to children’s rights, a charity has warned.

  

• Rough-sleeping up 165% over the last decade, figures reveal

  High rents, a ‘faulty’ benefits system, and a lack of social housing has driven the dramatic rise in rough-sleeping since 2010, a homelessness charity has said.

  

• How can local authorities successfully and sustainably tackle homelessness in their area?

  Victoria King Lowe explores how local authorities can work with partners to attract additional funding and implement cost-effective solutions that can reduce rough sleeping and homelessness.

  

• Over 900 rough sleepers in Greater Manchester given ‘a bed every night’

  Greater Manchester’s scheme for helping rough sleepers has seen a ‘significant increase’ in the number of people it has helped in the last few months.

  

• Labour promises to repeal nineteenth-century Vagrancy Act

  The Labour Party has announced that they plan to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 which criminalises begging and rough sleeping.

  

• Deaths of homeless people up 24% in five years

  Local authority chiefs say they are ‘determined’ to prevent homelessness as figures reveal almost 600 homeless people died in England and Wales last year.

  

• Essex councils warn of problems with rehousing London’s homeless in the county

  Essex council leaders have written to the Mayor of London highlighting concerns over homeless people from the capital being rehoused in the county.

  

• End ‘unnecessary’ homelessness catch-22, watchdog says

  A watchdog has called for an end to the ‘unnecessary catch-22’ where homeless people are unable to access public services because they have no postal address.

  

• Brokenshire launches homelessness 'hubs'

  Communities secretary James Brokenshire has announced a network of 11 homelessness ‘hubs’ across England to tackle rough sleeping.

  

• Over 12,000 people sleeping rough this Christmas, charity warns

  The number of people sleeping rough or on buses and cars in England is more than double what Government statistics suggest, homelessness charity says.