Homelessness

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There is a significant difference between homelessness and rough-sleeping.

You count as homeless if you are:

  • staying with friends or family

  • staying in a hostel, night shelter or B&B

  • squatting (because you have no legal right to stay)

  • at risk of violence or abuse in your home

  • living in poor conditions that affect your health

  • living apart from your family because you don't have a place to live together

The UK’s homeless number has been rising steadily - and stands at 320,000. Rough sleepers are estimated at 5,000.

There can be no excuse in a civilised society for rough sleeping to exist at all. Government is rightfully criticised for failing these people, many of whom suffer from mental illness and addiction. We have to prioritise those in our society who are most vulnerable.

Much of the excellent work thats done to relieve the problems of rough-sleeping and homelessness is carried out by charities. I have been involved with 2 excellent ones based locally for a few years now and seen first hand how valuable the work they do is.

PLEDGE: If elected I would campaign to match fund the fund-raising carried out by these charities from central Government.