Homelessness
Debate between Baroness Hanham and Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
Baroness Hanham
My Lords, I cannot give the noble Baroness the exact proportion but, yes, a number of charities such as Centrepoint and St Mungo’s in London provide an extraordinarily important service. The Passage at Westminster Cathedral and similar organisations across the country play an enormous part in supporting and helping homeless people. The No Second Night Out initiative now takes place not only in London but across the country. It ensures that what my noble friend suggests happens does not happen. People are not on the streets for longer than one night. They are taken off and given advice, help and support to enable them to move back into proper accommodation.
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
My Lords, official figures say that rough sleeping has increased by 31% in the past two years but experts working in the field say that the increase is double that. Do the Government have a projection for how homelessness, and rough sleeping in particular, is set to go in the future? Do the Government agree that it is essential that all rough sleepers should have access to emergency accommodation and that that needs to be planned for if we are to see this increase continuing in the future?
Baroness Hanham
My Lords, rough sleeping had gone down but I acknowledge that it is beginning to creep up again and, as I have said, that is completely undesirable. The No Second Night Out initiative ensures that people are not left on the streets for long spells of time and that they are given access and help. The £40 million I have just mentioned will come from the Department of Health. It is to build hostels and provide hostel accommodation for people who are sleeping rough and to get them off the streets. It will be very effective, particularly for the mentally ill, of whom there are more in that situation than we would wish.