YMCA Response to Prime Minister’s Rough Sleeping Announcement

Denise Hatton, Chief Executive, YMCA England & Wales, said:

“We welcome the Prime Minister’s determination to ensure nobody is left sleeping on our streets this winter. Behind every person experiencing homelessness is an individual who deserves dignity, security and the opportunity to rebuild their life.

“The commitment to offer people a route off the streets by Christmas is an important step, particularly alongside recognition that a safe home must be accompanied by the right support. Across YMCA, we know that lasting change comes when people have access to support with their health, finances, employment and wellbeing alongside a stable base.

“But getting people off the streets must be the beginning rather than the end of this ambition. Rough sleeping is the most visible manifestation of a much wider housing crisis. Too many people – disproportionately young people – find themselves faced with insecure housing, unaffordable rents and a shortage of genuinely affordable homes, making it feel impossible to take lasting steps to leave homelessness behind them.

“That is why YMCA is calling for long-term solutions alongside immediate action with our bold ambition to deliver 10,000 affordable and supported homes for young people. Experience shows that when government, local councils, charities and communities work together, we can make extraordinary progress.

“Now we must match the urgency of getting people off the streets with the ambition to prevent homelessness in the first place and ensure everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home.”