Advertisement
Housing

Homelessness Reduction Bill Becomes Law

Hailed by housing charities, the bill to reduce homelessness becomes an act of parliament today

Charities have hailed the passing of a Homelessness Reduction Bill, which becomes an act of parliament today after it gained royal assent.

It places a legal duty on councils to give people meaningful support to try to resolve their homelessness, as well as introducing measures to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place.

The government will be providing £61million to local authorities to help meet the costs of providing extra help and advice to homeless people, and people are risk of losing their home.

Conservative backbench MP Bob Blackman (below, with communities minister Sajid Javid), who first introduced the bill, said on Twitter that it was the priciest private member’s bill ever passed.

With a general election campaign underway, housing and homelessness bodies urged politicians to now go further and commit to ending rough sleeping. The number of people sleeping rough in England has risen by 16% in the last year and has more than doubled in the last five.

This act is by no means a cure-all

“The Homelessness Reduction Act is a crucial step forward in fighting homelessness,” said Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis. “For 40 years we’ve had a system that fails too many homeless people by turning them away from help when they need it most.”

Advertisement
Advertisement

“But this act is by no means a cure-all and, at a time when the number of people sleeping on our streets continues to rise at an alarming rate, we are calling on all political parties to commit to ending rough sleeping in their upcoming manifestos.

Claire McMenemy, a client of the St Mungo’s charity, who slept rough for over thirty years after running away from home, said more should be done to help people get off the streets.

“It’s great that the law is being changed to help people who are facing homelessness,” she said. “It should be a top priority. I know the dangers that people face and how you can get stuck on the streets.

“My mental health suffered a lot and I believe more needs to be done to help people like me who end up sleeping rough.”

Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

Read All
Rents in UK are rising at highest rate in decades. Will they keep going up?
rents uk
Renting

Rents in UK are rising at highest rate in decades. Will they keep going up?

Mum-of-three hit with 'revenge eviction' after asking for repairs: 'It felt like the end of the world'
Hazell and her three kids faced homelessness until Shelter stepped in
Renting

Mum-of-three hit with 'revenge eviction' after asking for repairs: 'It felt like the end of the world'

Housing minister admits Labour's 1.5 million homes promise will be 'more difficult than expected'
Labour housing minister Matthew Pennycook
Housebuilding

Housing minister admits Labour's 1.5 million homes promise will be 'more difficult than expected'

Surging rental prices are dwarfing inflation – and not enough people are talking about it
To Let signs to attract renters
RENTING

Surging rental prices are dwarfing inflation – and not enough people are talking about it

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue