Charities joint statement for Everyone In anniversary

To mark the one year anniversary of the government’s Everyone In scheme today, the CEOs of Shelter, Centre Point, Homeless Link and National Housing Federation have come together to issue a joint statement on what needs to happen next:

“On its one-year anniversary, we want to celebrate what was achieved by the Everyone In scheme and reflect on what we need as we look ahead. The collective efforts of the government, local councils, housing associations and charities have proven what can be done if we are committed to ending homelessness – we must now build on that.

“Everyone In helped thousands of people and undoubtedly saved lives, but it also exposed the troubling scale of rough sleeping and we know not everyone got the help they needed. We must learn the lessons from this scheme and close the gaps, which meant that even in a pandemic some people were left to sleep rough. Councils need better funding and more support so they can offer safe accommodation and support to anyone facing homelessness regardless of their immigration status.

“We welcome that the government has begun to recognise that you cannot solve homelessness without homes and enough support to help people keep them. As we look back on the successes and challenges of the last year, we need to look at what’s needed to truly solve homelessness. While the government’s funding of some extra accommodation for those who were sleeping rough last year is extremely positive and necessary, only a new generation of genuinely affordable social homes and long-term support can end homelessness for good.”

ENDS