The Prime Minister and First Ministers of Scotland and Wales have congratulated Crisis on its 50^th anniversary and pledged to work with the charity as it builds its plan to end homelessness for good.

This comes as new research shows that the large majority of MPs (77%) agree there should be a plan to end homelessness in Great Britain, and 64% think ending homelessness is an achievable goal (see notes).

Throughout its 50^th year, Crisis will be working towards a national plan to end the most acute forms of homelessness once and for all. The charity aims to bring together everything needed to make this happen, including consultations in all three nations and a large scale programme of research. It also calls on the public to join its #EverybodyIn campaign and show their support for ending homelessness.

Theresa May said: “No one should be forced to sleep on our streets, and this Government is determined to end homelessness in all its forms. Solving homelessness is about much more than putting a roof over someone’s head. It is about stopping people from becoming homeless in the first place, and that’s why we are putting prevention at the heart of our approach. This Government will continue to work closely with Crisis, and we all have a common goal: Crisis passionately believes, as I do, that homelessness is a problem that can be solved.

“For half a century Crisis has led the way, raising awareness and fighting tirelessly for those who all too often don’t have a voice in our society. However, as we rightly celebrate the work that you do, it is important to remember that Crisis was never set up to be a permanent charity, and we are all of one view: that homelessness in the 21^st century is unacceptable.”

Nicola Sturgeon said: “Tackling all forms of homelessness must be a priority for any government. Here in Scotland we have made real progress in preventing homelessness, and we now have some of the strongest rights for homeless people in the world. But we know there’s still a lot more to do. Of course, none of this can be achieved by government alone, and we rely on the dedication and expertise of charities like Crisis. Together we’ve made a huge amount of progress, and my pledge to you is that we will continue to work closely in the years and decades ahead.

Carwyn Jones said: “Homelessness is wholly unacceptable in the 21^st century. To have nowhere safe to call home and to be forced to sleep on the street is a lonely, frightening ordeal, which no one should ever go through. The Welsh Government is determined to end rough sleeping and all forms of homelessness. However, no government can tackle homelessness alone, and I welcome the opportunity to work with Crisis to improve the quality and availability of housing for homeless people and to help get rough sleepers into safe, stable accommodation.

Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “This year, Crisis marks its 50^th anniversary, but this is by no means cause for celebration. The reason we’re still here, is because we’re still needed. Many thousands of people are sleeping on Britain’s streets, on sofas, in squats or unsuitable temporary accommodation.

“We want a future where we’re no longer needed, where no one has to suffer homelessness because they can’t find a place to live. As we’ve seen, the political will is there, and over the coming year we’ll be bringing together the people, evidence and resources to help make our vision a reality. We know we can’t do this alone, but we’re ready for the challenge, and I hope that in 50 years’ time Crisis - and homelessness - will have been consigned to the history books.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes to editors 

For more information, call 020 7426 3853 or email thomas.phillips@crisis.org.uk. For out-of-hours media enquiries please call: 07973 372587 

Crisis Research:

1. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 102 MPs. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23/03/17 and 04/04/17.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of the House of Commons.

Crisis is the national charity for homeless people. 
 

We are determined to end homelessness. We do it person by person and by influencing policies to ensure everyone has a place to call home.  

Homelessness is devastating, leaving people vulnerable and isolated.  

Crisis offers ground breaking housing, health, education and employment services.  We work with thousands of homeless people across the UK every year.  

We are also determined campaigners. We draw on our research, partnerships and years of experience of working directly with homeless people to deliver change and a vision to end homelessness for good.