Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Ellie Reeves and Marcus Jones
Ellie Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge) (Lab)
6. What assessment he has made of trends in the number of homeless people sleeping rough between 2010 and 2016.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Marcus Jones)
Nobody should ever have to sleep rough. My Department co-funded Crisis’s recent Housing First report, which shows how that approach can work to end rough sleeping for those with the most complex needs. We are now considering how Housing First can help our manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping by 2027.
Ellie Reeves
Official figures released by the Minister’s Department continue to show year-on-year increases in the number of rough sleepers since 2010, including a 3% increase in London alone in the past year. Rough sleeping is often linked to mental health issues, so what specific steps will his Department take during this Parliament to address the mental health crisis among rough sleepers?
Mr Jones
I thank the hon. Lady for that question and welcome her to the House. A number of underlying issues keep people on the streets when they are rough sleeping, and they certainly include mental health issues. Let me give her some insight into what is happening in her constituency: there is a social impact bond focusing on getting people with underlying mental health issues off the streets. I hope that she welcomes that.