Today, Saturday 2 May, the Government has announced that Dame Louise Casey will spearhead a taskforce on rough sleeping during the pandemic. As part of this, a team of experts will advise councils on plans to support people sleeping rough into long-term, safe accommodation once the lockdown is lifted.

Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “We are delighted to see the government seize the opportunity to ensure those brought in from our streets as part of the emergency response to the pandemic are not forced to go back to them.

“We look forward to working closely with the taskforce to provide as many people as possible with a home of their own. The past few weeks has seen unprecedented action in an unprecedented situation - but has shown what can be achieved when the will is there.

“We agree with the government that people who are homeless don’t just deserve protection during a crisis – they should have ‘long-term, sustainable and safe accommodation’ when the pandemic is over.”