Teesside homelessness charity welcomes PM's plan to end rough sleeping
Andy Burnham's launched an urgent national drive
A Teesside homelessness charity's welcoming news that ending rough sleeping is one of the new Prime Minister's main priorities.
Andy Burnham used his first speech in office to launch an urgent national drive to end rough sleeping at the earliest opportunity, setting out a bold ambition to tackle the issue.
The Goverment says this will be backed from day one by an additional £340 million - taking overall funding to record levels.
Dan Dumoulin, director of development and external affairs at Depaul UK, which helps people in Middlesbrough, said: "Rough sleeping is a terrible way for anyone to have to live. It is one of the most visible and most dangerous forms of homelessness, so we're very pleased he's focusing on that. But we also want the Government to commit to end all homelessness, not just rough sleeping.
"In terms of numbers, I think the official statistics say around 4,800 people sleep rough on any single night in England. We think the number's quite a bit higher actually, because some people aren't seen. Thousands are sleeping rough, but there's 10s and 10s of thousands of more people who don't have a safe and secure place to call home.
"I don't think you can just do one thing to start seriously tackling rough sleeping. Two things that we think we need to do urgently is more around preventing people sleeping rough in the first place. We also need to get people off the streets really quickly. You need emergency accommodation and you also need stable homes for people to move into.
"A focus on prevention, we think a lot more attention on preventing young people in particular from becoming homeless. And also a focus on if people do end up living on the street, getting them off the street as soon as possible and moving them through emergency accommodation into their own homes really quickly.
"We're not going to end homelessness without affordable, high quality housing. What we would be looking to the Prime Minister and his colleagues to do is really speed up the delivery of those new homes. It's great having the commitment, it's great having the funding, but what we actually need is to get building safe, secure, affordable homes.
"None of us like to see our fellow human beings suffering on the street. Rough sleeping is incredibly dangerous. It's really bad for people's health. It takes a terrible toll on their mental health and wellbeing as well.
"All of these thousands of people would have a safe place to live and we know that a home really is the foundation of all the other great stuff in our lives; family, relationships, work, being able to enjoy yourself and relax.
"So it would take thousands and thousands of people out of a really not very nice place and help them live far more happy, healthy, fulfilling lives. And I think that's something we all want to see.
"We have actually worked with the Prime Minister when he was Mayor of Greater Manchester on a Pathfinder programme, so that was a great programme that Depaul was really pleased to deliver ad there we worked with thousands of young people. We prevented 75% of them from becoming homeless and helped hundreds into work as well, so I think there's the prevention side."
The policy forms a key part of his pledge on the steps of Downing Street to help everyone to live well and build a more preventative state, investing in success rather than paying for failure. Crisis research shows that a year of rough sleeping costs an estimated £20,128 per person, versus £1,426 for a successful prevention intervention.
The Prime Minister says he rejects the notion that ending rough sleeping will take decades or that it can’t be done at all.
Urgent first steps will begin to help those sleeping rough over a long period to move into secure housing. This includes beginning the acquisition of suitable homes, identifying those most in need and starting to provide housing and support without delay.
The new funding is the first phase of investment in a wider five-year programme that will provide homes and support for thousands of the people facing the most severe and long-term homelessness. Further steps will be set out before the autumn.
Speaking earlier this week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:
"For too long, we’ve been told that ending rough sleeping will take decades or even that it’s impossible. I’m not having that.
"This is something a government can fix if it chooses to. Today, I’m choosing to.
"On my first day as Prime Minister, I’m announcing this government’s commitment to finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity.
"We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together national and local government with the investment needed to get it done.
"This is the kind of Britain I want us to be – a country where everyone has the security of a roof over their head, and where no one is left behind or written off. Let’s bring back hope."