Like you, I firmly believe that just one person without a roof over their head is one too many, and I welcome the important work that Crisis does to help people find their way out of homelessness. Furthermore, I am glad that there is so much overlap between the ideas Crisis have raised in their recent report and the Government's plan to end rough sleeping by 2027.
I share the view of Crisis that the Housing First approach to tackling homelessness has a record of being effective at helping people with high and complex needs. That is why I welcomed the recent launch of a £28 million pilot of Housing First, providing some of England's most entrenched rough sleepers with stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support. The impact of this pilot will be evaluated to inform any wider roll out of the Housing First approach.
On the issue of social housing, I welcome recent statistics which show that more than three times as much council housing has been built since 2010 than in the previous 13 years. That said, I agree with Crisis that more needs to be done, and I am confident that the £9 billion Affordable Homes Programme will help deliver more social housing.
I also recognise the important work that Crisis do in advising the Government on homelessness policy through the Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel, on which Crisis CEO John Sparkes sits. I am confident that, working together with leading experts on homelessness, the Government will achieve the aim of halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it altogether by 2027.
Last updated June 2019