The party came into power as homelessness hit crisis levels with a record 151,630 children now homeless and living in temporary accommodation in England with the number of households without a stable home rising 12.3% in a year to 117,450.
The previous government failed in its pledge to end rough sleeping by this year and, while there was a strategy in place to end street homelessness, there was little action on a temporary accommodation crisis pushing councils to the brink.
Labour’s cross-government approach echoes the Rough Sleeping Unit which ran under Tony Blair’s New Labour government in the Noughties.
That Labour administration was able to make significant progress in tackling rough sleeping – a reduction of two-thirds to 532 people after four years in power – and there is hope that can be repeated with the new inter-ministerial group.
Matt Downie, Crisis chief executive, said: “It’s hugely welcome to see that the government has appointed the deputy prime minister to chair an inter-ministerial group on homelessness and rough sleeping. This is another clear signal that this government is serious and committed to tackling homelessness.
“We know that only through coordination across the breadth of government can we be successful in tackling the causes of homelessness. When established, this group needs to deliver an ambitious housing and homelessness strategy that seeks to end all forms of homelessness, and puts genuinely affordable housing at its heart. We’re ready and waiting to work with the government to make this happen.
“But with many councils facing a financial cliff edge there are urgent issues this government needs to address too. It’s crucial that the autumn budget includes funding for councils in the immediate term, so that people needing support have a safe place to stay as they begin their journey out of homelessness.”
Rick Henderson, CEO at Homeless Link, added: “Homelessness cuts across multiple different departments, it cannot be the responsibility of just the Ministry of Housing, Communites and Local Government to prevent and end it. Therefore, we’re very pleased that the government has listened to the homelessness sector in setting up a cross-ministerial group. Homelessness organisations are ready to work with Angela Rayner and colleagues to embed policies that create a society with a home for everyone.”
Rayner’s announcement comes as the government appointed new homelessness minister Rushanara Ali and the party’s deputy leader visited the Social Bite village in Edinburgh.
She called the homeless village, which opened in 2018 and has helped almost 100 people out of homelessness, an “amazing project”.
A second Social Bite homeless village is set to open in Rutherglen next year.
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