The rising number of people sleeping rough in England is a source of national shame, ministers have been told.
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has written to housing secretary Angela Rayner and homelessness minister Rushanara Ali to call for action on rising numbers of people sleeping rough.
Following an inquiry, the committee has urged the Government to end Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions through the passage of the Renters’ Rights Bill as soon as possible.
Ministers should ensure Universal Credit meets the costs of essentials and end the 5-week waiting period for receiving the payment, MPs said.
They also recommendeded a shift to a smaller number of longer-term funding streams to enable councils to better plan support services, and pushed for a sub-target for social and affordable tenures as part of the Government’s 1.5 million homes goal.
Committee chair Florence Eshalomi said: ‘The success of the “Everyone In” policy during the pandemic shows it’s possible to end rough sleeping.
‘Building more social and genuinely affordable housing will be crucial to any long-term solution but we must also address the immediate housing need for those who are rough sleeping.
‘We must also improve the delivery of joined-up support for those with long-standing health and addiction issues to help them get back on their feet.’
