Homeless charity welcomes scrapping of Vagrancy Act
The Ministry of Housing, Local Government and Communities has announced that the UK government will scrap the Vagrancy Act, a law in place since Georgian times.
Homeless charity Crisis, along with other homelessness organisations and politicians in England and Wales, has been calling for the act to be consigned to history books. It has remained in place despite a Westminster vote to repeal it in 2022.
Crisis has also welcomed a new draft law in the Senedd, which seeks to improve homelessness prevention and support in Wales.
Debbie Thomas, head of policy in Wales at Crisis, said: 'No-one should be punished for being pushed into homelessness. It's critical that people who are experiencing the trauma of homelessness feel able to reach out for support from authorities – not fear them."
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