Ending Rough Sleeping

The number of people sleeping rough in England is now at a record high. So the announcement that Andy Burnham's new government will be making ending rough sleeping a priority is very welcome. 

As one of the largest providers of homelessness support services in the UK and Ireland, we see every day that homelessness is not only a housing problem but often the result of overlapping pressures, including poverty, trauma, poor mental health, substance use, domestic abuse and insecure work. 

How can we end rough sleeping for good? 

The ambitious plans set out by the Prime Minister must be backed by long-term funding for support services and the removal of systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing that support. 

• Remove the immediate barrier in England. Add people sleeping rough to the Priority Need list so they are automatically entitled to emergency accommodation. 
• Set a clear long-term direction. Commit to delivering a near-universal right to accommodation by pledging to end the priority need system.
• Increase supply of affordable housing. Deliver a sustained increase in accommodation, especially social housing to meet the growing demand. 
• Fund support as well as homes. Mental-health, addiction and trauma-informed support must be available when it is needed and continue after someone is housed.
• Work with the sector. Government should involve charities, local authorities and people with lived experience in designing and delivering the programme.