Homelessness and Rough Sleeping

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about action to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping during and beyond the coronavirus pandemic.

Homelessness and rough seeping are not inevitable in a country as decent and well-off as ours. Yet homelessness is rising and the number of people sleeping rough has more than doubled since 2010.

I pay tribute to the work of local government and housing charities who have played a vital role in the national effort to help thousands of people off the streets at this crucial time. I agree with you that this public health emergency presents the Government with a once in a generation opportunity to help thousands of rough sleepers off the streets for good.

While the Government has rightly committed to protect vulnerable rough sleepers throughout the pandemic, I am concerned that councils have repeatedly been let down by Ministers. Specialist support and move-on accommodation will be essential to ensuring that no one returns to the streets, yet councils are struggling to cope with increased costs due to COVID-19. This is on top of a decade of cuts to council budgets. I will press the Government to honour its commitment to do “whatever it takes” to support councils and homelessness
organisations.

More widely, I share your concerns that many homeless people are left without a safe place to stay because of their immigration status. I will continue to urge Ministers to heed calls from councils and homelessness
charities to address the issues faced by homeless people who have no recourse to public funds, which excludes many migrants from vital services and forces people onto the streets.

Beyond the coronavirus emergency, there can be no return to business as usual and I believe it is paramount that Ministers build on the progress that has been made. I believe we need stronger rent controls, as well as more affordable, safe and secure long-term accommodation, particularly at a time when many people living in the private rented sector are at risk of losing their homes due to loss of income in the COVID-19 emergency.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP