The Criminal Justice Bill was new piece of legislation introduced by the UK Government.
The Bill contained new powers for police and local authorities to enforce against so-called ‘nuisance rough sleeping’ in England and Wales. These powers included being moved on, a fine up to £2,500 and even imprisonment.
None of us should be criminalised for being homeless.
This Bill would have criminalised and dehumanised those of us that have been failed by a system that should keep all of us safe.
Thanks to our campaigning, the Government made concessions and removed some of the worst parts of the Bill, although the overall approach remained the same. People forced to sleep rough would have remained at risk of fines and prison sentences.
The Bill will now not be passed by Parliament in its current form. Thank you to all of you who took action as part of this campaign!
Sleeping rough has been a criminal offence since 1824. Under the Vagrancy Act, people sleeping rough in England and Wales could be moved on or fined up to £1,000.
Following a decades-long campaign, led by Crisis and supported by politicians across the political spectrum, people with lived experience of homelessness and a wide number of charities, Parliament voted to repeal this archaic Act in February 2022.
Now, in 2026, the change has finally come into effect.
We should treat people who are homeless with dignity and humanity – not with the threat of police action.
We know it is possible to end homelessness. Together, we can make this happen by campaigning for government to make the changes we need to end homelessness, for good.
