13 September 2019
St Mungo’s clients and staff went to Downing Street today to deliver hundreds of personal messages from St Mungo’s supporters – each explaining why ending rough sleeping must be a priority for this Government.
Speaking outside Number 10, Dominic Williamson, Executive Director of Policy and Strategy at the charity said: “In last week’s Spending Round announcement, we were pleased to hear that an extra £54 million will be invested in reducing rough sleeping next year. Our Home for Good campaigners have helped make that happen, enabling vital services to keep supporting people for another year.
“But to end rough sleeping for good we urgently need guaranteed, long-term funding for vital homelessness services and more safe, secure and affordable housing for people who so desperately need it to escape homelessness and rebuild their lives.
“The public support for our Home for Good campaign has been absolutely phenomenal. We thank the hundreds of people who have crafted their personal messages to the PM. We are united in our calls for urgent government action to end the rough sleeping crisis.”
St Mungo’s Home for Good campaign is calling on the Government to commit to providing more social housing; a more secure and affordable private rented sector; and a new programme of long-term, guaranteed funding for homelessness services.
Earlier this year we launched new research showing that nine years of Government cuts have left services for single homeless people with a shocking £1bn a year funding gap.
These cuts to council budgets have left thousands of vulnerable people at risk, with the number of people sleeping rough rising by a massive 165% since 2010.
