Property sector has ‘important role to play’ in Burnham’s homelessness drive, says Henry Boot
Yorkshire-based property developer Henry Boot has welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s recent commitments on rough sleeping, as the company said the property sector has an “important role to play” in reducing homelessness.
It comes after the Prime Minister last week launched a national drive to “get everyone in” for Christmas, with the Government having committed £432m to tackle homelessness during the first month of Burnham’s premiership.
Following the announcement of the recent drive, Jack Kidder, responsible business manager at Sheffield-based Henry Boot, said the property sector should also help with efforts to “turn ambition into reality”.
He said: “The Prime Minister’s latest commitment to get people off the streets this winter, backed by £442m of investment, is another bold and welcome step towards ending rough sleeping.
“Following his earlier pledge to end rough sleeping and the recent repeal of the Vagrancy Act, it’s encouraging to see homelessness receiving the sustained attention it deserves.
“The property sector has an important role to play in turning that ambition into reality. That means not only delivering the homes the country needs, but creating employment opportunities, building stronger partnerships within our communities and ensuring our own policies help people into stable housing rather than creating further barriers.”
At the end of June, Kier Starmer’s government announced that it was repealing the Vagrancy Act, ending nearly two centuries of legislation that criminalised rough sleeping and begging.
Burnham last week followed this by announcing an additional £102m, from uncommitted budgets within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, to go towards immediate routes off the street for people this winter.
The figure includes an £8.4m boost to the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, in recognition of the work of charities, faith groups and community organisations in the sector.
The £102m will go alongside £340m announced last month for new support to get long-term rough sleepers into settled accommodation over the next three years.
Speaking last week, the Prime Minister said he felt “very passionately” about tackling homelessness, but indicated that wider society including community and faith organisations must also play their part.
Visiting the Alex’s Place homeless facility, in Newcastle, run by the charity Changing Lives, Burnham told reporters: “The Government money may not fully get us there, and I’m saying to wider society, faith organisations, let’s see if we can do this together.
“Let’s see if Britain can do this. Give everybody an offer to come inside before Christmas. You know, that is just something we can do.
“We did it in the pandemic. We can do it again, and it’s a rallying call, really, that I’m putting out there today with a lot of Government money behind it.”
The latest drive repeats efforts undertaken during the coronavirus pandemic when the Everyone In scheme resulted in thousands of rough sleepers across England being taken off the streets.
Mr Kidder also called for organisations to work together to tackle the issue of homelessness.
He said: “Lasting progress will require more than funding or new housing alone. It will take government, businesses, local authorities and charities working together to tackle the root causes of homelessness – including the wider housing insecurity that leaves too many people just one unexpected setback away from losing their home.”