Suella Braverman incited public outrage with her declaration to crack down on homeless tent encampments, labelling rough sleeping as a "lifestyle choice." The Home Secretary warned of the possibility of streets being overrun, leading to a rise in crime, drug use, and squalor if no action is taken in British cities.
Braverman insinuated that many tent dwellers were "from abroad" and asserted that authentic homelessness would always receive support. However, her comments sparked significant criticism, with accusations of indulging in "disgraceful" politics and shifting blame onto the most vulnerable for government shortcomings.
Asian Voice contacted some charities that work with the homeless to gauge their reaction.
Charan Sekhon MBE, Founder & Chairman of SEVA Trust UK said, ''No one chooses to sleep rough. People are forced to do this and they have no other option. Debt, relationship breakdown, evictions, financial difficulties, job loss, mental health issues, domestic abuse and other situations force people to face such hardships.
“It is very disappointing to read the Home Secretary's comments who has not commented on the real circumstances that are contributing to homelessness and rough sleeping such as rising cost of living, job losses, rise in unemployment, high interest rates, minimal salary growth, lack of govt support for most vulnerable people.
“Giving such irresponsible statements cannot help people facing these challenging situations in any way. We all need to work together and try to offer the needed support and the government; community & charitable organisations must work in partnership to identify & address the root cases. We must focus on the underlying issues''
Brad Taylor, Rural Campaigns Officer at CPRE, the countryside charity said, “Everyone has a right to live in a home they can afford, and no one in England should find themselves without a roof over their heads, however under government policies we've seen a 24% increase in rates of homelessness in rural areas in the year 2021-2022.
“Instead of criticising those who find themselves in the position of having nowhere to live, we would encourage the Home Secretary to speak to those who have sought to understand the causal factors of rising rates of homelessness. Research commissioned by English Rural, with input from CPRE and others, found that rural poverty exacerbated by high housing costs is the fundamental driver of rural homelessness.
“To make matters worse local authorities in rural areas receive 65% less funding per capita than urban areas for homelessness prevention and support services are dispersed and often unavailable. We would like to see a renewed political commitment to ending all homelessness, including rural homelessness.”
Hanuman Dass, Founder of Go Dharmic shared his views and possible solutions to homelessness, stating, "In a compassionate society, nobody wants to witness fellow human beings sleeping on the cold streets. If we act considerately, we have the power to eradicate homelessness in the UK. Our unwavering commitment should be to extend a helping hand to lift people out of tents and provide them with dignified and proper accommodation.
“To tackle this issue effectively, the government must engage charities working on the ground and civil society along with those directly facing homelessness. I think efforts to tackle the problem of homelessness should transcend political views and differences and bring everyone to the table.”
In the latest development, the Home Secretary's proposal to prohibit charities from distributing tents to the homeless has been removed from the King's Speech by No. 10. According to sources from The Independent, Rishi Sunak is uneasy with the language Braverman used, especially after she faced widespread criticism for labelling rough sleeping as a "lifestyle choice."
The conservative cabinet member had suggested creating a civil offence to dissuade charities from supplying tents to those experiencing homelessness. Under the proposed plans, organisations could face fines if the tents they provide are considered to have caused a disturbance. These measures were believed to have been recommended for inclusion in the King's Speech.
