Helena Brice
Former Public Affairs Officer , Crisis
Former Public Affairs Officer , Crisis
Last week Crisis was at Labour Party conference to meet with MPs and Lords to ensure that homelessness remains high in the political agenda, particularly ahead of the forthcoming budget. We also held a joint fringe event with Labour List on what the Party can do both nationally and locally to end rough sleeping. All MPs noted how they had seen people sleeping rough in Brighton – unsurprising given that the number of people sleeping on the streets has gone up by 100% since 2015.
When the Chancellor delivered his Budget yesterday we were waiting with baited breath to see if there would be anything on homelessness. The Huffington Post had trailed that there might be a small amount of cash but nothing big. But we were not disappointed. The Chancellor had listened to our supporters and the many politicians who called for more action to tackle homelessness, and in particular for investment in Help to Rent projects to support homeless people move into and sustain tenancies in the private rented sector.