Greens: Open empty buildings to shelter rough sleepers
31 January 2019
The Green Party has responded to news 4,677 people were sleeping rough in England in autumn 2018, down by 74 compared to 2017 figures. [1]
Sian Berry AM, co-leader of the Green Party, said:
“Rough sleeping is not falling anywhere near far or fast enough. It is shameful that in a nation as rich as the UK thousands are still facing freezing temperatures on the streets. With the right political will there is action we can take right now to give people shelter, and I urge the Government and local authorities to consider measures like opening up Britain’s many empty buildings.
“In the longer term we need to see an end to policies like Universal Credit and benefit sanctions which push people into poverty, and real commitment to policies which help deal with the causes of homelessness so no one is forced to sleep rough in the first place.”
Notes: