The Liberal Democrats have set out a plan to end rough sleeping within five years, spanning social housing, welfare, local authority funding and legal changes.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “We’re delighted to see the commitment from the Liberal Democrats to end rough sleeping, in addition to their wider manifesto pledge to urgently publish a cross-Whitehall plan to end all forms of homelessness. The promises made, including scrapping the Vagrancy Act and increasing housing benefit, will be transformational in moving our country towards ending homelessness.

“It is absolutely possible to end all forms of homelessness, not just rough sleeping. We need to see the next UK Government implementing the essential steps needed to ensure that no one in our society has to live without somewhere safe and secure to call home.”