8 April 2008:
Thames Reach has welcomed the Government's action plan to tackle rough sleeping and called on local authorities to offer more support.
The head of one of the UK’s leading homelessness charities has commented on the Government’s rough sleeper announcement and called on local authorities to offer more support to the campaign to end street homelessness.
Jeremy Swain, Chief Executive of Thames Reach, said: “Thames Reach welcomes the Government's renewed commitment to reduce rough sleeping to zero. The voluntary homelessness sector in this country has worked tirelessly to help thousands of men and women sleeping on cardboard on the streets to move into decent accommodation. In London alone, almost 20,000 people have been helped off the streets over the last ten years.
“But there is still more to do. Over the course of a year, almost 3,000 people still sleep rough in London which continues to have the biggest rough sleeping problem. And an emergency hostel bedspace is not enough. We must do more to help people secure long-term, settled accommodation, a job and to rebuild links with family and friends.
“We are now tantalisingly close to London becoming the first major European capital to succeed in ending rough sleeping. However, London is made up of 33 local authorities which together can decide that rough sleeping is an outrage and must be ended or can instead choose individually to see it as not their problem, as long as it stays outside the borough boundaries. We urge all local authorities, working closely with central government, the business community and the Mayor to join what must become an unstoppable coalition which will end rough sleeping for good.”
