How London takes forward Kerslake Commission recommendations

Leading homelessness experts from across the capital joined together this week at a workshop focusing on the recommendations of the Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping.

The virtual event – held on 31 January and convened by Bloomberg Associates (BA), the pro bono consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies, and The Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI), with support from St Mungo’s – follows the publication of the Commission’s final report last September.

St Mungo’s is providing ongoing secretariat support to the Commission, which is chaired by the former head of the civil service Lord Bob Kerslake, and which was formed to examine and capture the learning from the emergency response to supporting people sleeping rough during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the workshop there were speeches and reflections from key stakeholders including St Mungo’s Chief Executive, Steve Douglas CBE and Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, as well as the Housing Lead for London Councils Housing Directors, Jamie Carswell.

Discussing the event St Mungo’s Chief Executive, Steve Douglas CBE, said: “It was great to see key partners, discussing the priorities to help end street homelessness in London. These dynamic discussions are a continuation of the unprecedented collaboration we’ve seen both in the Capital and across the country since the start of the pandemic in 2022, and reflects the spirit of collaborative working that was a key theme through Lord Kerslake’s Commission.

“When representatives from all sectors come together to review, learn from and develop the Commission’s recommendations in Forums like this, we are encouraged that the recommendations will be refined and implemented at a local, level, reflecting different contexts and circumstances.”