Home secretary Suella Braverman should in many senses have known better than declare that street homelessness is a lifestyle choice.
To say such a thing suggests that she has the ear of some great data gatherer who has done more than any of us working in homelessness in quizzing homeless people as to why they are on the streets.
I cannot think of any survey I have read or participated in over 30 years that throws up such a pernicious piece of thinking as Suella Braverman’s cavalier comments that street homeless people elect to be there; dying younger, with mental and physical health problems, and with such a limiting life experience that you would not wish it on your worst enemy.
Braverman should also have reserved her judgement concerning people living on the streets because she fails to recognise that a social crisis, if not acted upon, will often turn into a law and order problem. One would have expected of a cabinet minister more awareness of the social causes of street homelessness. And that making such cheap remarks will not help address the root causes and, therefore, the issues that bring people into sleeping in public places.
Getting tough with street dwellers may appeal to a section of the voting public; that would seem to be the only reason for Braverman’s choice of words. How would she police this crackdown? She will not find a police force willing to tackle this social cleansing action. Speak to any police force and they will mainly say that the problems of street homelessness start well before they start street dwelling.
We’re calling on the Prime Minister to make sure everyone can afford to stay in their homes and pay for the essentials. Will you join us and sign the petition?