Salvation Army backs Government’s rough sleeping plan but urges lasting change

The Salvation Army has written to the Prime Minister to confirm its support for his ‘Everyone in for Christmas’ initiative to bring people sleeping rough in England indoors.

Colonel Howard Russell, Chief Secretary of The Salvation Army UK and Ireland, said: “We share the Prime Minister’s ambition to ensure no one is left sleeping on the streets this Christmas.

“We stand ready to work with national and local government and other partners on this shared endeavour, not only to provide emergency accommodation and immediate support, but also long-term to prevent homelessness and increase the availability of suitable accommodation.

“This commitment builds on our existing year-round support across England for thousands of people sleeping rough with practical help such as food, clothing, washing facilities, and accommodation, ranging from emergency beds during extreme weather to long-term supported housing.

“Making sure everyone has somewhere safe and secure to sleep this Christmas is a vital first step, but giving everyone living on the streets a route out of homelessness will require sustained effort. We hope this momentum can help drive the long-term action and lasting change needed to end the rough sleeping crisis that is blighting so many lives."

To help tackle rough sleeping The Salvation Army is calling for:

• In the short term, a change to homelessness legislation in England so that rough sleepers are added to the priority need list for emergency and then longer-term housing but, in the long term, for the priority need list to be abolished so everyone who is homeless can be helped. 
• Reverse the freeze on the value of Local Housing Allowance rates to enable people claiming Universal Credit or housing benefit to afford to rent at least three in every ten of the most affordable private properties in any given area.  
• A commitment to a sustained investment and increase in housing stock and especially social housing in the UK to meet the needs of the growing numbers of people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness. 
• An introduction of the same recording system of the rough sleeping population as in London (CHAIN statistics) to other cities and regions in the UK with high levels of homelessness, providing detailed information on the number of people in need of support.