St Mungo’s has signed a joint open letter to the Conservative Leadership candidates, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, which calls for the Government to meet its 2019 manifesto pledge to end rough sleeping by 2024.
The letter, coordinated by Homeless Link, has been signed by 28 organisations across the homelessness and charitable sectors, and comes as new figures show a marked increase in the numbers of people facing homelessness in the UK between January and March this year. These figures serve as a warning that the progress made to tackle homelessness during the pandemic response could be undone if action is not taken.
The letter highlights soaring inflation and rental prices as being amongst the key issues which are putting more households at risk of homelessness, and has been covered in an exclusive feature by The Times.
Signatories hope that the open letter will put the issue of homelessness high up on the agenda of the new Prime Minister, and calls on Truss or Sunak to ensure the full list of reforms outlined in the recent White Paper; ‘A fairer private rented sector’ is brought forward as legislation when parliament returns in September. This would include fulfilling the manifesto pledge of ending ‘no fault’ Section 21 evictions.
Rebecca Sycamore, Interim CEO at St Mungo’s, said:
“As a leading homelessness charity, we urge the Government to continue its efforts to meet its manifesto pledge to end rough sleeping by 2024.
“Great work was achieved during the pandemic; with rough sleeping figures decreasing.
“The new Prime Minister, and their government, should continue to prioritise rough sleeping – especially considering the effect that the cost of living crisis is likely to have on the number of people facing and experiencing homelessness over the coming months.
“As expert service providers St Mungo’s will continue to work with central and local government – and our partners in the homelessness sector – to ensure that as many people as possible are prevented from coming to the streets or supported to leave them if they do.”
