‘Urgent action’ still needed to end homelessness in Wales, charities say

Cardiff charities have applauded the UK Government striking out a Regency-era law but say work still needs to be done.

On June 29 the government repealed the Vagrancy Act, which was introduced in 1824 to make rough sleeping an offence in an effort to combat the increased amount of people living on the streets as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.

The repeal of the act is part of the government’s national plan to end homelessness, a £3.6bn investment over three years to halve long-term rough sleeping, and ending the unlawful use of B&Bs for families.

According to Stats Wales Cardiff consistently has the highest rate of rough sleeping in Wales.

On April 30 this year of the recorded 149 rough sleepers in Wales 46 were found in Cardiff.

Although this may be expected because Cardiff has the highest population in Wales.

According to Crisis, a homelessness charity, rough sleeping is “one of the most visible types of homelessness” and includes “sleeping outside or in places that aren’t designed for people to live in including cars, doorways, and abandoned buildings”.

Responding to the announcement the Vagrancy Act has been repealed, Robin White, head of campaigns at Shelter Cymru, said: “The repeal of the long outdated Vagrancy Act is a landmark moment, one that sends a clear message about how we – as a society – view rough sleeping and homelessness.”

He continued: “This change also builds on progressive steps that have been taken by subsequent Welsh Governments to tackle the housing emergency. Including extending priority need to cover street homelessness and legislating to end the use of priority need altogether in the coming years.

“Changes that mean support already exists for almost everyone who is street homelessness as local authorities have a duty to provide them with accommodation.”

However he also said that the government needs to go further in supporting those living on the streets.

He said: “Despite these positive steps Wales continues to experience a serious housing emergency with 10,500 people homeless and trapped in temporary accommodation, more than 170,000 stuck on waiting lists for a social home, and hundreds of thousands reliant on a private rented sector that for many simply isn’t affordable.

“To end this once and for all we need urgent action to deliver on the commitments already made by the new Welsh Government to expand the supply of social homes, end no-fault evictions, and implement the potentially transformative Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations Act.”

The Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations Act was passed by the Senedd in February and aims to shift Wales’ homelessness system to focus on earlier identification and prevention.

Sian Aldridge, the interim chief executive at The Wallich, Wales’ biggest homelessness and rough sleeping charity, called the 200-year-old act “cruel” and “inhumane”.

The Wallich, as well as other charities, have long campaigned to get it repealed and are “so glad” it has now been done.

He said: “The final repeal of the Vagrancy Act shows that when we speak out together change is possible. Change that could be transformative to tackling homelessness in Wales.

“The repeal of the Vagrancy Act is a clear move away from marginalisation and criminalisation, towards positive help for people living on our streets, and we are relieved to see it consigned to history.”

However he added: “We only hope now that policing and local authorities in Wales do not use other means to unnecessarily penalise people for sleeping rough.”