Thank you for all those who have contacted me about homelessness.
I appreciate the importance of this issue. It is a tragedy that in one of the world’s wealthiest countries, hundreds of thousands of people are recorded as homeless, including more than 100,000 children. A stable home is a prerequisite for good physical and mental health, positive relationships and the base from which to develop a career and raise a family.
I am concerned that a mix of rising rents, the cost of living crisis and the Government’s delay in ending no-fault evictions is hitting vulnerable individuals and families, pushing record numbers into homelessness.
I believe we need an approach which works across government departments, charities and organisations – pooling resources, knowledge, and expertise. Successful strategies such as Housing First in Greater Manchester show the importance of early intervention and wrap-around support. At its heart is the principle of co-production, where people with lived experience of rough sleeping and homelessness use their insight to help shape the services provided to others.
I support proposals for the first ever long-term government plan to improve outcomes for people with mental health needs, ensuring that people can access treatment before they reach crisis point. I also support calls to recruit thousands more mental health staff and to bring open-access hubs for children and young people to every community.
More widely, I want to see measures to fix the housing market. I am in favour of plans to deliver the biggest boost to affordable, social and council housing for a generation, rebuilding the dream of a safe, secure, affordable home. These plans include restoring local housing targets and reconsidering planning rules to build 1.5 million homes within a five-year period.
Thank you once again to all who have contacted me about this serious issue.