APPG Welcomes New PMs National Drive to End Rough Sleeping

The APPG for Ending Homelessness strongly welcomes the Prime Minister’s national drive to bring people off the streets by Christmas, backed by increased funding of £442 million to support local action.

The involvement of a range of charity, business and faith groups in a proposed autumn summit is also a welcome step to make ending rough sleeping a national imperative. 

This plan prioritises the kind of large-scale action from the very top of Government that we need to start to fix this lingering fracture in the foundation of our nation. It is deeply welcome to hear that this is a moral mission for the new Prime Minister. 

This is a bold first step to making history and saying that 21st Century Britain is done accepting rough sleeping and homelessness. 

Rolling out new approaches to get people into settled homes quickly, supporting effective and innovative support services as well as improving prevention could transform our approach to homelessness.  

We can change from a system when we are simply responding to the emergency to one where everyone has quick access to the secure home and the support they need to end their homelessness.  

What happens next will determine if we can get everyone home, not just for Christmas but forever.  

In our recent report Homes, Support, Prevention we set out what systemic change could like, change that would deliver on the Prime Ministers’ aim of a national housing first philosophy and ending rough sleeping. 

We stand ready to work with the Government and the new Homelessness Minister to play our part in this national drive and ensure this delivers the sustainable and lasting change that we need.