Rough Sleeping and Good Growth Funds

Vikki Slade Excerpts

Monday 26th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Florence Eshalomi]

I thank my hon. Friend for his comments, and I am pleased to hear that he found the summit inspiring, challenging, meaningful and purposeful as we came together to address rough sleeping. He is absolutely right: faith communities right across the UK have been doing a lot of work in this area, and they have provided charity and support for so many people. In some cases, people have turned away and shunned them. People have harassed and attacked them, but faith communities continue to open their doors. It is vital that we continue to work with faith communities and the voluntary sector in addressing this mission.

[Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

One in six care leavers experiences rough sleeping, and last week I met representatives of Step by Step, which supports young people in Dorset and across the south. They told me that young people in supported housing and foyers dread the cliff edge of their 18th birthday because it can mean eviction, as benefits assume that young people are living at home. What will the Minister do with colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions to specifically support care leavers with the full rate of universal credit, so that they do not end up on the streets at the very moment they achieve adulthood?

[Florence Eshalomi]

This is a key area that we discuss, and I continue to discuss it with the Minister with responsibility. I hope that we will soon have some additional updates for the hon. Member. It is vital that we recognise that many young people might still not be able to live independently once they hit 18, and it is important that we look at support for them as they transition into adulthood.