Response to Mayor of London’s plan to end rough sleeping

published on 21 May 2025

A Salvation Army spokesperson said:

“We welcome the Mayor of London’s commitment and plan to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2030. Nobody chooses to sleep rough, so it is heartening to see tangible solutions backed by increased funding to help anyone who is currently homeless and preventing more people from ending up sleeping rough. 

“We particularly welcome the focus on delivering sustainable routes away from the streets as well as an increased focus on prevention. However, as the plan itself identifies, its success will be impacted by wider national policy. There is much more that needs to be done to give this plan the best chance of succeeding."

women sitting alone by wall

The Salvation Army is calling on the Government to: 

  • Immediately unfreeze the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and increase it in line with rising rents so that people on lower incomes who are renting can afford somewhere to live. LHA is the rate used to calculate housing benefit for private renters.

  • In the short term, make a change to homelessness legislation in England so that rough sleepers are added to the priority need list for emergency then longer-term housing. Looking to the future, we want the priority need list to be abolished so everyone who is homeless can be helped. 

  • Address the shortage of affordable housing, especially social housing so that people on low incomes who are trapped in unsuitable, temporary accommodation can afford a stable home.