Last week, Stephen attended a Parliamentary reception on homelessness, hosted by St Mungo’s, to discuss how the Government can put an end to rough sleeping.
Since 2010 the number of people sleeping on the streets has more than doubled. St Mungo’s have recently found that Government cuts have left local services for single homeless people with a £1 billion annual funding gap. They are committed to stopping homelessness in its tracks and, for fifty years, have sent outreach teams to provide food and shelter for those who need it.
Speaking after the event, Stephen said: “These figures are a direct result of a decade of failure on housing which has seen a steep drop in investment for new affordable homes; cuts to housing benefit; soaring rents in the private rented sector; and reductions in funding for local homelessness services.”
“The Government need to take urgent action to put an end to rough sleeping for good by 2024.”