General Election podcasts

Welcome to the Homeless Link general election podcast in which each of the main political parties indicate how they will deal with homelessness and housing related issues if they form part of the new government.  

Homeless Link is the national umbrella organisation for approximately 500 frontline homelessness agencies and their service users and clients.  Our vision is a country free from homelessness and we work closely with Government and the shadow cabinet, local authorities and our members to make this vision a reality.  We asked our members and their service users to provide questions (below) that they would like to ask the party spokespeople.  Ian Austin, homelessness minister and Grant Shapps, the Conservative party spokesperson on housing agreed to be recorded for the podcast, while the Liberal Democrats and Green Party chose to provide written answers which have been read out by staff members of Homeless Link and the Salvation Army.  
 
After the election, we look forward to working with our members, people with experience homelessness and with national and local government to ensure that ending homelessness remains a priority on the political agenda.  
 
During the podcast, you’ll hear each question followed by responses from the parties in alphabetical order: Conservative, Green Party, Labour and Liberal Democrat.  
 

interview Transcripts


You can download a transcript of the interviews below:
 
Each transcript is a PDF file and you will need Adobe Reader to open and view them. You can download the latest version of Adobe Reader for free at Adobe's website
 

Listen to the podcasts:

Q1. What are you going to do to stop homelessness and is your party committed to ending rough sleeping by 2012?
 

 Question 1 was developed from suggestions made by services users from Youth Voice & Oxford Homeless Pathways and the following projects – Stonham, Thamesreach, Keyhouse & Housing Link.

Q2. The Supporting People and Places of Change Programmes have transformed the quality and effectiveness of services for homeless and vulnerable people. In view of the tight financial constraints facing government, how will you make sure that funding to support the most vulnerable and excluded, who do not have a statutory right to services, is protected?
 

Question 2 was developed from suggestions made by Thamesreach & Framework. The following organisations also raised concerns about the impact of removal of Supporting People ring-fenced funding, the proposed cuts on meeting the needs of the most socially excluded and safeguarding services and support for homeless people: MACC staff and service users, Petrus, The Wellspring, DASH, St Petrock’s, Youth Voice, Keyhouse & Stonham.

Q3. What are your plans to increase the availability of affordable housing and to make better use of existing accommodation, in particular, bringing more empty homes into use and ensuring the private rented sector is appropriate and secure for vulnerable people?

Question 3 was developed from suggestions made by Webber Street Day Centre, Oxford Homeless Pathways service users, Stonham, Petrus & DASH.

Q4. Homelessness is a multi-faceted issue with many homeless people having multiple and complex need, for example mental health and substance misuse problems, involvement in offending, poor physical health, etc. What vision does your party have for the homeless in dealing with their complex multiple needs and what are your plans for ensuring a coordinated approach to addressing these issues across Government departments?
 

Question 4 was developed from suggestions made by St Mungo’s, Housing Link & The Pilion Trust (service users & staff).

Q5. Many people end up homeless because they try to work, get confused about the complexities of housing and other benefits then get into rent arrears and are evicted. Also if they do work they may not be able to afford the rent. This is particularly difficult for those who are in and out of temporary work. What can you do to simplify and make the benefit system, including housing benefit, easier for people who want to work?
 

Question 5 was suggested by Self Help Supported Housing but the following organisations also raised issues about benefits and barriers to employment for homeless people: Ferry Project & Hope Social Enterprises, HACC, Thamesreach, Humbercare & St Mungo’s.

Q6. What are your plans to tackle the increasing numbers of destitute people from Central and Eastern Europe on the streets of the UK and what could be done at a European level to address the challenges in relation to internal EU migration?
 

Question 6 was suggested by Barka UK & Webber Street Day Centre. This issue was also raised by The Passage.

Q7. What sort of animal would you be if you had to be homeless and why?
 

Please note: the Liberal Democrats did not provide an answer to question 7. This question was suggested by service users at Oxford Homeless Pathways.