Homeless Link, the umbrella group for charities working with and for homeless people, today welcomed the news that Mayor Ken Livingstone has accepted their challenge to end rough sleeping before the Olympics in 2012.
The London mayor said: 'In our 21st century London it is deplorable that there are still people forced to sleep on the streets… Tackling rough sleeping is about more than just bricks and mortar.” (1) Mr Livingstone has pledged to implement a new strategy which will also address wider issues contributing to homelessness, “such as support, health and worklessness.'
Speaking on behalf of Homeless Link, Jenny Edwards said: 'This is a fantastic start to the campaign to end homelessness.(2) This country is among the world leaders in its approach to the issue. Now it’s time to go for gold. We are calling on every other UK city to also back the bid.'
Speaking at a Homeless Link reception this week, Caroline Spelman MP, the Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, also announced her support for the goal of ending rough sleeping across the UK by 2012.
Like Mr Livingstone, Ms Spelman stressed the need for increased focus on early prevention and on the support needed for long term homeless people to reintegrate confidently into society – particularly those suffering from alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse.
At the same reception, Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning, commenting on the launch of Homeless Link’s campaign to end homelessness in the UK by 2022, said the organisation was 'right to be ambitious'.
Ms Cooper said that in this 40th anniversary year of the screening of Ken Loach’s Cathy Come Home, it was time to build on the UK’s proven success at reducing rough sleeping – at a time when other European countries are seeing a rise in numbers of rough sleepers – to find solutions. She did not want, she said, for homelessness to still be a concern in another 40 years.
Andrew Stunell MP, the Lib Dem Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, reiterated the cross party political consensus on achieving first the Olympic, then the 2022 goal. Homelessness, he said, was 'not acceptable socially or economically'.
PHOTOS OF RECEPTION AVAILABLE. For more information, contact Anne Holmes on 020 7960 3075 or 07798 666 658.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1 Mayor supports challenge to end rough sleeping by 2012
2 A road map for ending homelessness by 2022 is included in Ending Homelessness: From Vision to Action, released by Homeless Link at a reception on 1 November 2006.