Angela Rayner sent urgent letter as MPs declare 'national emergency'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

England is experiencing a rough sleeping 'emergency' and the rising number of people sleeping rough is a ‘source of national shame’, MPs have said.

The number of people sleeping rough is not only high but has increased in recent years, an inquiry has found. Florence Eshalomi, chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee, said: “The shocking levels of rough sleeping on our streets should be a source of national shame.

The seriousness of the rough sleeping emergency must act as a spur to government action which prioritises prevention and which brings forward the right investment and support to fix this crisis.” Increasing cost of rents is being exacerbated by historical decisions to freeze the Local Housing Allowance, the prevalence of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, and by the five-week wait for the first Universal Credit payment “which can further entrench poverty", the committee was told by witnesses, including council and homeless charity representatives.

The inquiry heard that charities and local authorities often struggle to house people presenting as homeless because they do not have access to sufficient accommodation to house everyone.