Shelter response to Rough Sleeping Strategy

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “This strategy is an important step forward in the fight against the rough-sleeping emergency that’s led to people dying on our streets. The scale of the crisis demands urgent action and we are pleased to see the government bringing forward these new plans. We hope this strategy will significantly improve the services available to those at immediate risk of rough-sleeping, and help others to get off the streets and into a safer place to stay.

“But let’s be clear, this is a step forward and not a total fix for homelessness. We still need to tackle the chronic lack of genuinely affordable homes, deep instability of renting, and problems with housing benefit that are leaving so many without a home. If the government wants to eradicate rough-sleeping for good, this strategy must be quickly followed by a new plan to build many more social homes and efforts to create real security for those struggling with their rent.”