MPs must seize 'historic opportunity' to tackle homelessness

MPs have been urged to grasp an 'historic opportunity' to make the most significant change to the law on homelessness in nearly 40 years.

Crisis is urging the MPs selected in a Private Members’ Bill ballot to champion a change in the law that will ensure homeless people in England can no longer be turned away to sleep rough by their council.

The proposed Bill, put forward by an expert panel of council representatives, lawyers and housing experts, would see a reformed law introduced requiring all councils in England to take action to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.

The Bill is backed by MPs across the political spectrum, the highly regarded independent Cross Bench Peer Lord Best, the wider the homelessness sector and Crisis’ own No One Turned Away campaign with 58,000 supporters calling for a change to an outdated law that has turned away single homeless people to sleep on the streets in England since 1977.

Crisis Chief Executive Jon Sparkes said:

“The law as it stands means that single homeless people who go to their councils for help are often turned away without any meaningful help and left with no option but to sleep on the streets. The MPs chosen in this ballot have an historic opportunity to put an end to this scandal by reforming a 40 year old law on homelessness.

“Rough sleeping has more than doubled since 2010, while 112,230 households applied to their local authority for homelessness assistance in 2014/15 – a 26% rise since 2009/10. But homelessness isn’t inevitable, and we don’t need to look very far to find an alternative. Recent reform to legislation in Wales has already resulted in a drop of two thirds in the number of people formally accepted as homeless, proving prevention really does work.

“Crisis is urging the MPs chosen in today’s ballot to seize this unique opportunity and champion a Bill that will ensure thousands currently sleeping on the streets get the help they so desperately need.”

Lord Best said:

“The groundswell of evidence, opinion and support for a change in the law on homelessness in England has become too great to ignore. The Government has already made a commitment to consider options – including a change in the law – to prevent more people from becoming homeless, while over half of English local authorities think a change in the law similar to that in Wales would be beneficial for homeless people in England.

“It is almost 40 years since current laws on homelessness were introduced. The MPs chosen in today’s ballot have an historic opportunity to ensure that no one can be turned away to sleep on our streets.”