Latest news with #VagrancyAct
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Scrapping rough sleeping law 'good news', says Blackpool charity
The boss of a Blackpool homeless charity has said a plan to decriminalise rough sleeping on the streets of the seaside town is "really good news".Ministers are planning to scrap the 200-year-old Vagrancy Act which was introduced in 1824 to deal with rising Hugo from Streetlife, which helps 18 to 25-year-olds, said extra cash promised by the government would "really help to ramp up the support we're able to give people"."I think criminalising rough sleepers was the wrong thing to do, so I'm pleased that it's been sorted out," she added. Ms Hugo said more money towards homelessness prevention coupled with support for the vulnerable would "help to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place". 'Complicated reasons' She said: "We have got a situation in Blackpool, but it's not as bad as some other towns in the North West."I think this issue gets mixed up with begging."A lot of people assume that people who are begging on the street are homeless and that's not always the case."Ms Hugo said the charity had outreach teams in Blackpool who speak to people on the streets and direct them to help available. "There are still complications why people rough sleep, some people with mental health issues find it really difficult to live in hostel-type accommodation, or to manage their own flats and lots of support is needed," she said. "But we're doing our best and the extra funding will really help."I think it's really good news, it's long-awaited." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Worcester charity praises 200 year old homeless law change
Decriminalising a 200-year-old law making rough sleeping an offence is "long-overdue", a charity has government confirmed it would scrap the Vagrancy Act by spring 2026 and instead target organised begging gangs and archaic law was introduced in 1824 to deal with rising homelessness after the Napoleonic Wars and Industrial Blewitt, from homeless charity Maggs Day Centre in Worcester, said the end of the act was "a long-overdue and symbolic step towards breaking the stigma around rough sleeping". "For far too long, people facing homelessness have been treated as criminals simply for being in crisis - as though having nowhere to go is a choice that deserves punishment," she said."Being without a home is already dehumanising. Being criminalised on top of that only adds shame and fear."While this repeal won't solve homelessness overnight, it matters deeply."The centre supports homeless people through its day centres, clothing project and outreach Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it would boost funding for homelessness services by an extra £233m this financial year, bringing total investment for 2025-26 to nearly £ Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: "We are drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society, who deserve dignity and support."No-one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again."In December, Worcester City Council was given extra funding to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in the leader Lynn Denham welcomed the increase, which took funding to £1.18m for the 2025/26 financial year."Reducing homelessness is an absolute priority for the city council," she news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Decision to scrap rough sleeping law 'long-overdue'
The government's "long-overdue" decision to scrap a law criminalising rough sleeping has been welcomed by charities and formerly homeless people in the Prime Minister Angela Rayner called the Vagrancy Act "cruel and outdated" and said Labour would target organised begging by gangs instead.A Southampton charity welcomed the change and said the focus should be on "prevention, housing-led solutions, and genuine support".Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said funding should be made available to tackle underlying mental health issues. Figures from Southampton City Council show the average number of people rough sleeping on a single night in Southampton between 2010 and 2022 was in Autumn 2023, the government released figures that showed 46 people in Oxford were sleeping rough on a single the same year, for 17 out of 43 police forces in England and Wales, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) did not prosecute at all using the Vagrancy Act. Vince, from Southampton, is now securely housed, but was formerly said he was not aware at the time that he could be prosecuted for rough sleeping."Even if I had known, I was most worried about being robbed or assaulted, and staying warm and dry," he said."I think [the announcement] is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't address the lack of available housing, or how dangerous it can be to sleep rough."Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, who campaigned for the act to be repealed, said she felt "pure joy" at the news."I can finally say that after seven years of dogged campaigning, this cruel and archaic law will be consigned to the history books," she said."It is not and should never have been acceptable to view homelessness as a crime." Chief executive of the Society of St. James, a Southampton-based homelessness charity, Tania Marsh called the move "long-overdue".But she also cautioned against any possible "unintended consequences" of new legislation."It is vital that any new legislation is carefully designed to avoid criminalising individuals pushed into street homelessness," she said."Our focus must remain on providing robust strategies that prioritise prevention, housing-led solutions, and genuine support for everyone experiencing homelessness in our community." Ms Jones told BBC Radio Solent on Wednesday she welcomed the act being repealed, but added: "We must make sure we don't slip back to high streets across the south being full up with people who are sleeping homeless."She said during her time as leader of Portsmouth City Council from 2014 to 2018, the act had been useful in helping to tackle anti-social behaviour associated with temporary Vagrancy Act was originally introduced in 1824 in response to rising homelessness and is expected to be repealed by spring next year. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
South Wales Argus
20 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
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."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fears of tent cities as rough sleeping is decriminalised in end to 200-year-old law
Tent cities could pop up across the UK as rough sleeping is decriminalised, critics of the policy say. Ministers have announced plans to repeal the Vagrancy Act by next spring, meaning it will no longer be an offence to sleep on pavements. But there are fears scrapping the 200-year-old law despite rising numbers of the homeless will mean more people camping on the streets. Announcing the changes, Angela Rayner said she was 'drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society'. The Housing Secretary pledged to increase funding for homelessness services with an extra £233million this financial year to provide alternatives to rough sleeping. She said: 'No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again.' Introduced in 1824 to tackle a homelessness crisis after the Industrial Revolution, the law was designed to punish 'idle and disorderly persons, and rogues and vagabonds'. Most parts of the act have been repealed but some remain in force in England and Wales to enable police to move on rough sleepers rather than prosecute them. Homeless charities called the move a 'landmark moment' they had long called for. However, there were concerns that the move could lead to more people sleeping on streets and the creation of 'tent cities'. The charity Shelter estimates there are 326,000 people, including 161,500 children, in England who are homeless, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year. This has caused camps to pop up in several cities, including on Park Lane in central London. Figures published in April showed the total number sleeping rough in the capital – those who spend at least one night on the streets – was 4,427 for the three months to March 2025, which was a near 8 per cent increase from 4,118 for the same quarter last year. The numbers classed as living on the streets had risen by 38 per cent year-on-year to 706 from 511. The Government said 'targeted measures will ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe – filling the gap left over by removing previous powers'. These will be new offences of facilitating begging for gain and trespassing with the intention of committing a crime and will be brought in through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill. Ministers said this will ensure organised begging – often by criminal gangs – remains an offence, meaning it is unlawful for anyone to organise others to beg. Ms Rayner's department said spending on homeless services would hit nearly £1billion this financial year. Kevin Hollinrake, Tory communities spokesman, said: 'Labour's approach will result in a pavement free-for-all in our towns and cities. They just don't understand or care how this affects law-abiding local residents and the impact it has on their pride of place.' Chris Philp, the Tory home affairs spokesman, told the Telegraph: 'This move risks turning British cities into a version of San Francisco, which has become overrun by encampments of homeless people.
