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To: Gavin Barwell: The Minister of State for Housing and Planning
End Rough Sleeping and Homelessness in the UK
Reduce the cuts in funding to housing services.
Why is this important?
Since 2010, the number of homeless people in the UK has doubled. In the last year alone, there has been a 10% rise in the amount of people accessing homeless services. The cuts to council funding is forcing their budgets on housing services to be slashed. Housing services and homeless organisations offer help to some of the country's most vulnerable people, yet the lack of funding has meant that temporary shelters, hostel beds and soup kitchens are having to close. The government must recognise that councils are struggling to cope with the demand.
Recent cuts to housing benefit has put many young 18-to-21-year-olds at risk of becoming homeless, by denying them access to the private rental housing market.
We are calling on the government to re-think funding cuts and make the necessary changes, and give local councils the support they need in order to offer lifelines to the most vulnerable people in our society.
