"It's a landmark moment": Coventry and Warwickshire homeless charity on the decriminalisation of rough sleeping
The Government is to scrap the two hundred year old Vagrancy Act, essentially decriminalising rough sleeping
A homeless charity operating in Coventry and Warwickshire say the Government's decision to decriminalise rough sleeping is a landmark moment.
After 200 years, rough sleeping will no longer be a crime as the Government confirms it will formally scrap the Vagrancy Act by Spring next year.
The Act was introduced in 1824 – towards the end of the Georgian era - to deal with rising homelessness which increased after the Napoleonic Wars and Industrial Revolution.
While use of the Act against rough sleeping has significantly declined over the years, in line with modern attitudes and greater understanding around the causes of homelessness, it remains enforceable in law.
The Government say they will be repealing the Act to ensure rough sleeping is no longer a criminal offence, as it concentrates its efforts on getting to the root causes of homelessness, backed by major funding.
The Act been called 'out-dated' by charities and now means police will signpost the homeless towards support instead.
Last year saw 340 people sleeping rough each night in the West Midlands which is a 35% rise from the previous year.
We've been speaking with Barrie Hodge from St Basils, a homeless charity operating in Coventry and Warwickshire who work at the frontline to support rough sleepers in the region.
Barrie says: "The recognition that we are not dealing with criminals but people who need support is a landmark moment and we are very happy with the decision the government has made."
When asked about how this will impact St Basil's frontline work, Barrie said change will not happen overnight: "It will help but we still have a long, long way to go in making sure that prevention is at the heart of all homelessness strategies and we hope the government will recognise that."
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has boosted funding for homelessness services by an extra £233 million this financial year, bringing total investment for 2025-26 to nearly £1 billion.
This aims to prevent more families from entering temporary accommodation and tackle rough sleeping head-on.
The Deputy Prime Minister is also developing a new homelessness strategy with other government departments and mayors and councils who all play an important role in prevention and frontline support.
This strategy will be published later this year.
The Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: "We are drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society, who deserve dignity and support.
“No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again.”
The Minister for Homelessness Rushanara Ali said: “Today marks a historic shift in how we’re responding to the rough sleeping crisis, by repealing an archaic Act that is neither just nor fit for purpose.
"Scrapping the Vagrancy Act for good is another step forward in our mission to tackle homelessness in all its forms, by focusing our efforts on its root causes.”