Homeless Link Launches its Election Manifesto

national | politics / elections | other press Monday April 25, 2005 20:36 by Jon Glackin - Street Seen streetseen at hotmail dot co dot uk 0774 327 5533

Homeless Link has launched its manifesto website, www.endhomelessness.org.uk to give candidates and MPs the opportunity to view the 10-point manifesto and to support our call for the next government to commit to the goal of ending homelessness within three terms of parliament.

A general election is around the corner and housing is higher on the agenda than it has been for many years. But while the parties argue over extending the right to buy or helping first time buyers, we are in danger of forgetting the very people whose need and social justice itself require should be at the centre of this debate: homeless people.

The truth is that any of us could become homeless. Our members, frontline homelessness agencies across England and Wales, work with people from all walks of life. But it is the most vulnerable people in our society that are most at risk: young people from disturbed backgrounds, the elderly, the unemployed, people with mental illness or addiction, people with frayed social networks and no financial security to fall back on.

At the moment too many people still do not get the help they need at the time they need it, and end up homeless. Too many still end up sleeping rough on the streets.

Homeless families with children and some vulnerable single people can have a legal right to housing through their local authority. Even then, they can face long periods in expensive temporary accommodation or B&B hotels, often with no help to address their other needs. Other people may manage to find a place in a hostel or specialist project such as a Foyer, where they get support but then discover they have little prospect of moving to a settled home.

It needn’t be like this. Homelessness is a complex problem but we now know a lot about what works and what is needed to prevent and tackle it. Homeless people themselves are finding a voice and demanding to be heard.

Any solutions should be grounded in their experience.Significant progress has been made. The numbers sleeping rough have been significantly reduced. There are many fewer families with children in B&B hotels, and each council now has a homelessness strategy. These successes happened because politicians responded to what homeless people and the charities that support them were saying and provided leadership and resources to tackle the issue.

Now in many parts of the country there are innovative services providing advice and support to prevent homelessness; advice and tenancy sustainment services to help people keep their home; outreach to contact those on the street; hostels providing the essential first steps off the streets; day centres offering cultural, training and employment projects; and supported housing.
But the gaps between these services are far too wide. A determined push is needed to ensure that the right services are easily available when they are needed in all parts of the country.

This 10-point manifesto was developed in response to the concerns and suggestions of our members and in consultation with national and local homelessness agencies. It sets out what we think the next government should do and reinforces much of what was said on tackling homelessness by the ODPM Select Committee.

We call on the next government to commit to the ambitious but essential goal of eradicating homelessness. We will work with government and all people of good will to make this a reality.

Jenny Edwards
Chief Executive

The next government should ensure:

1 A right to a home

Commit to the goal of ending homelessness in the UK
within three terms of government. Reform homelessness
law to ensure that all homeless people, including former
rough sleepers, are entitled to a decent settled home.

2 Housing supply and allocation

Invest to meet housing need in full, especially the need for
settled accommodation for people in hostels, B&B hotels
and other forms of temporary accommodation. Ensure that
homeless people receive a fair share of affordable housing.

3 Working together to prevent homelessness

Make sure government departments at all levels work
together effectively and with the voluntary sector to
prevent homelessness. Protect and enhance the Supporting
People funding programme to allow flexibility in
preventing and tackling homelessness.

4 Health

Ensure that health strategies at all levels recognise the
needs of homeless people. Direct all NHS trusts to ensure
that homeless people can access health care and are never
discharged from hospitals onto the streets.

5 Full citizenship

Ensure that homeless people benefit from the full range of
citizens’ rights offered through involvement, consultation
and demo-cratic participation. Introduce a ‘service passport’
for homeless people so they can continue to receive services
wherever they move.

6 Focus on multiple needs

Promote effective integrated services for homeless people
who have multiple needs, especially for former entrenched
rough sleepers and those who are still sleeping rough.

7 Welfare benefits, work and training

Reform the benefits system to end the poverty trap.
Introduce a New Deal for homeless people to support their
efforts towards independence through study, volunteering,
training, work or enterprise.

8 Drugs and alcohol

Create integrated housing and treatment pathways for
homeless people who are dependent on drugs and/or
alcohol.

9 Cultural rights

Recognise that homeless people have the same talents,
creative potential, expressive power and right to take part
in cultural life as any citizen. Invest in cultural
programmes that help people to overcome trauma,
rediscover self-esteem, co-operate with others and
reintegrate with society.

10 Refugees, asylum seekers, migrant workers

Improve homelessness services for asylum seekers and
refugees so that no one is roofless. Ensure that refugees
can access the housing and support they need to build new
secure lives. Improve advice and help to access
accommodation for homeless people from the EU accession
states.