The co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ending Homelessness has backed Emmaus UK’s Action on Homelessness manifesto and called for the new Labour government to deliver urgent change.
In a keynote address at the Emmaus National Assembly, Paula Barker MP urged the government to take immediate action to end the “homelessness emergency” and said ending homelessness deserved to be as much a priority as other big policy areas like the NHS or education.
Speaking at the University of Warwick to an audience of more than 200 people from Emmaus charities and the wider sector, including those with lived experience of homelessness who are helped by Emmaus, called companions, she described it as an “absolute honour” to address the Assembly and paid tribute to Emmaus and others who volunteer and work across the homelessness sector.
Paula Barker said:
“You protect, you rehabilitate and you rebuild the lives of so many. You do this against a backdrop of ever greater demand for services, alongside a system that has borne the brunt of austerity which has resulted in dwindling resources and sometimes unsustainable pressure on commissioned services.
“It’s more important than ever to prioritise partnership working across the third sector with local government and national government. And I know that you are experts in this field. You are on the ground each and every day, seeing the realities of the homelessness emergency, and I have no hesitation in using such a term. An emergency. Homelessness is now endemic in our towns and cities.”
Paula Barker also said it was vital people with lived experience of homelessness play a key role in shaping government policy, as Emmaus UK is doing through the involvement of companions in a project to shape the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act.
Call for urgent action
Having previously held the shadow ministerial brief on homelessness, Paula Barker now co-chairs the cross-party parliamentary group focusing on this issue alongside Conservative MP Bob Blackman.
She argued urgent action was vital, not only to transform the lives of those who have experienced homelessness, but also because by finding solutions now, money could be saved for the criminal justice system, on housing, the NHS, and much more.
In her speech, Paula Barker said the APPG would have a crucial role in holding the new government to account on homelessness, and pushing for the action needed to end it. She outlined a number of steps required to do this, including:
Launching a cross-government taskforce on ending homelessness: Bring different government departments together, led by the Deputy Prime Minister’s office to give it central direction. Angela Rayner MP re-committed to launching this taskforce in her recent party conference speech, but we await further news.
Abolishing ‘no-fault’ Section 21 evictions: The new government is pressing ahead to abolish ‘no-fault evictions’, which have been a leading cause of homelessness, as part of its Renters Rights Bill. Paula Barker said she hoped the government would be able to do more to make private renting secure, such as strengthening the Decent Homes Standard.
Building social housing: A massive expansion is needed in the building of new social housing, to give people a safe, secure, and affordable place to live. The Right to Buy policy has contributed to a shortage of social housing, and needs reforming or pausing.
Funding to tackle homelessness: While short-term funding to reduce homelessness is desperately needed, long-term funding is equally important, and the government should introduce multi-year funding settlements on homelessness to help councils and others plan ahead.
Ending the criminalisation of homelessness: While the previous government ran out of Parliamentary time to pass the Criminal Justice Bill, which would have given the police extra powers to arrest rough sleepers, the harmful Vagrancy Act remains on the statute books, and needs repeal.
Taking a trauma-informed approach: The root causes of trauma need addressing, including mental health challenges, and drug and alcohol addictions. The cross-government taskforce on homelessness needs to take this holistic approach.
Commenting on Paula Barker’s keynote address, Emmaus UK’s Chief Executive, Charlotte Talbott, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Paula Barker MP to speak at our National Assembly. She is a real champion within Parliament for ending homelessness and has done vital work on this issue.
“Paula highlighted why many of the key steps set out in our Action on Homelessness manifesto are so important, including building more social homes, taking a cross-government approach, and giving a voice to people with lived experience.
“We look forward to working with Paula and the APPG on Ending Homelessness more closely going forwards, and to pushing the new government to take the urgent action needed to tackle the homelessness emergency.”