Plan to end rough sleeping in UK by 2024 will fail: Report

LONDON

The British government needs to take urgent actions to address homelessness and rough sleeping as it will not meet its goal to end rough sleeping by 2024, according to a report on Monday.

The study, published by the Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, revealed that the government will fail to meet its goal to end rough sleeping by 2024, citing a 26% increase in rough sleeping and the highest rates of people living in temporary accommodation on record.

"It is, unfortunately, the conclusion of the Kerslake Commission that this goal will not be met by the deadline," it added, stressing that many of the problems would be resolved if there was more supply of social rented housing, said the report.

It noted that challenges like pressures on the temporary and emergency accommodation systems and the cost of living exacerbated the state of homelessness, adding that the issue is also under some future risks, such as increasing rental prices over the next year.

Citing the latest official figures that showed a 26% increase in rough sleeping and the highest rates of people living in temporary accommodation on record, the study pointed out that collaborative effort is a must to end the problem.

Authorities should prevent people from getting to the brink of homelessness, and ensure that no one should need to arrive on to the streets to get help while everyone should have a route out of rough sleeping, the commission highlighted.

"The current government and next administration must take urgent action to address the rapidly rising rates of homelessness and rough sleeping, which stem from a severe shortage in affordable housing, a lack of statutory support services, and a cost of living crisis that is pushing more and more people into homelessness," it recommended.

Migration policies

The study also pointed out the impacts of the government's migration policies, including the controversial Illegal Migration Bill which became the "Illegal Migration Act 2023" after receiving Royal Assent in July.

"Organizations across the homelessness and migrant sector are deeply concerned about its impact on non-UK nationals, which could include homelessness and destitution."

It further stated that the act is causing an increase in rates of homelessness and rough sleeping while adding pressure onto the voluntary sector.

“Whilst many of those whose claims are deemed inadmissible will remain in Home Office accommodation for extensive periods of time, there will also be those who leave or do not enter this accommodation as they do not want to be removed to third countries, such as Rwanda,” the report noted.

Meanwhile, the Commission also said that the use of large sites such as barges and barracks to provide asylum support accommodation risks being another factor that deters engagement with support services and causes people to continue to sleep rough.

Early August, the first batch of UK asylum seekers were moved on the Bibby Stockholm barge, moored at Portland Port in Dorset in the country’s southwest. Later, they were removed from the floating vessel after a bacteria was found in the on-board water system.