I welcome your passion for ending homelessness once and for all, and I want to assure you that this is something shared by myself and my ministerial colleagues. I recognise the very real costs of homelessness highlighted by Crisis's work.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend Crisis’ event on 29 April due to Ministerial commitments that are already scheduled in my diary. However, let me stress that I wholeheartedly agree with the importance of ending homelessness, it is something that I would not want any person to have to experience.
I agree that everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. Through the Renters (Reform) Bill, the Government will abolish Section 21 evictions which will give tenants greater security without the threat of a ‘no fault’ eviction. There is also a firm commitment to delivering more social and genuinely affordable homes, underpinned by the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (2021-26) which will deliver tens of thousands of new homes.
I note that Crisis’s previous research has drawn on the particular importance of social rent; indeed, following a consultation, the Government has said it will consider amending national planning guidance in the future to attach more weight to social rent in planning policies and decisions.
The Government is investing £2 billion between 2022 and 2025 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, targeted to areas where it is needed most. The Government's ‘Ending Rough Sleeping for Good’ strategy puts prevention at the heart of its plans to end rough sleeping once and for all. I was encouraged to see the strategy set an ambition for no one to leave a public institution – whether that’s a prison, hospital or care – to the streets. The Government is committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs. I understand that, since 2018, over 640,000 households have been prevented from becoming homeless or supported into settled accommodation through the Homelessness Reduction Act.
In addition, in February 2024 the Government provided £220 million of funding to councils. £107 million is to provide more than 800 homes for rough sleepers. The money is being made available immediately to councils to purchase or rent properties to give rough sleepers a safe space to stay whilst they rebuild their lives off the streets. £109 million is a boost to the Homelessness Prevention Grant, the funding can be used by councils to prevent evictions before they occur or fund temporary accommodation. Bringing the total fund to £1.2 billion and supporting more than 160,000 people since the scheme opened in 2022.
Rightly, Government funding for accommodation for people facing homelessness reflects the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. There is, for example, a £10 million Night Shelter Transformation Fund to increase the availability of quality single-room provision within the night shelter sector. Meanwhile, investment in longer-term housing solutions includes a new £200 million Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme to deliver up to 2,400 homes and wrap-around support.
One person without a roof over their head is one too many. While there is much more to do, I hope that this response has assured you that the Government is committed to working towards a future without homelessness.
(April 2024)