Lib Dems commit to ending rough sleeping in Haringey

The Liberal Democrats have become the first major party to commit to ending the "national scandal" of rough sleeping across Britain, including in Haringey.

The latest figures show there were 29 people sleeping rough in Haringey in 2016, up from 22 the previous year. This includes 4 people under 25.

Meanwhile new research has revealed that 153 homes in the possession of Labour-run Haringey Council are vacant, despite the housing crisis.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a series of measures to end rough sleeping, including introducing a Housing First provider in each local authority that would put long-term homeless people straight into independent homes rather than emergency shelters.

The news comes as a coalition of homelessness charities, including Centrepoint, Crisis, Homeless Link, Shelter and St Mungo’s, have called on political parties to commit to end rough sleeping in Britain.

Dawn Barnes, Liberal Democrat candidate for Hornsey & Wood Green, said:

“It is a national scandal that so many people are sleeping on the streets in 21st century Britain. Under this Conservative Government, homelessness has soared and young people have been stripped of housing benefit, threatening to make matters even worse. It is also a disgrace that despite the housing crisis, so many council homes owned by the Labour-run council are lying empty.

“The Lib Dems would ensure each council has at least one provider of Housing First services, to allow long-term homeless people to live independently in their own homes.

"The evidence suggests that supporting people and giving them long-term, stable places to stay is far more successful in tackling homelessness than constantly moving them to different temporary accommodation. By increasing support for homelessness prevention and properly funding emergency accommodation, we can end rough sleeping in Haringey and across the country.

“This election is a chance to change the direction of this country and stand up for a Britain that is open, tolerant and united."

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