The purpose of this plan is to help politicians and governments make the decisions necessary to end homelessness. We have highlighted the best evidence available and the policy choices needed.
Homeless sector experts and decision makers’ views of the plan will inevitably vary. We hope, however, that no one will consider ending homelessness too complicated to imagine or too difficult to achieve.
Many of the policy decisions that have impacted negatively on homelessness other the years, were not intended to do so. Yet, they have had lasting and serious consequences. Most obvious among them are housing, welfare and migration policies. Going forward we hope that a more positive agenda to prevent and end homelessness will be part of all political decision-making.
To ensure efforts to end homelessness are co-ordinated and impactful, political commitments must come from the highest level. The current approach across the three nations is fragmented. Renewed central government leadership across Great Britain is needed.
Crisis and others in our sector must also accept obligations. As service providers, we must follow the best evidence of, what works, and strive always to end people’s homelessness for good. As communicators, we must change the story that we tell the public. And as campaigners, we must focus on solutions; helping politicians to make the right choices.
This plan is written in good faith as a tool for all those interested in tackling homelessness, and created in the certain knowledge that together we can end it.
As a society, it’s a question we ask ourselves a lot, even though many of us have come to see rough sleeping as an aspect of the world we live in, that, however tragic, will always be with us. But what if there was a way to end it for good?
The quiet determination that has been present in the meetings since the Action Group started work on 5 October continued as we started the 4th meeting by reviewing the implementation of the actions we recommended for this winter.
