High levels of rough sleeping in London were the subject of a London Assembly Housing Committee session on Thursday 12 March.
Homeless Link Head of Policy and Research Sophie Boobis gave evidence to the committee. She joined an expert panel featuring Jessica Turtle, Founder and Co-Director of the Museum of Homelessness, Jillian Thursby, Service Director at St Mungo’s, and Greg Hurst, Director of Communications and Public Engagement at the Centre for Homelessness Impact.
During the 90-minute session, the Committee covered a range of issues including reform of the SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol) system to better protect those rough sleeping from all forms of extreme weather, the opportunities and limitations of using data to address homelessness and the need for real multi-agency buy-in to end rough sleeping.
Other issues highlighted by Homeless Link’s Sophie Boobis included the link between the “funding crisis in supported housing” and rising levels of rough sleeping. Sophie also identified the relative success in reducing homelessness amongst armed forces veterans as a model which may contain wider learnings.
The panel also discussed the Mayor of London’s target to end rough sleeping by 2030. There was agreement on the panel this was an “ambitious” target, and that the ambition was laudable. But there was also shared concern there would need to be a rapid increase in the rate of progress to make this a reality considering current trends. Sophie also acknowledged local initiatives can be undermined by national policy decisions.
A recording of the full session can be viewed on the Housing Committee website.
