Housing for the Homeless Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Lord Sheikh
Main Page: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Sheikh's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
(4 years, 7 months ago)
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Lord Sheikh (Con)
My Lords, I have been involved in providing meals to the homeless and have had limited contact with them. According to official figures, in 2019 there were 4,266 rough sleepers in England. They are the most vulnerable group in society. Some of them have physical and mental conditions. I commend the Government, local authorities and charities for finding accommodation for 90% of rough sleepers during the pandemic. However, there must be an effective long-term plan, backed by ethical investments, to find suitable permanent accommodation for all homeless people. This should be a holistic programme that involves input from the Government, local authorities and various organisations. Will the Minister tell us to what extent this is being done? We welcome the establishment of the task force headed by Dame Louise Casey. We appreciate that the Government are committed to ending rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament.