Campaign documents
Letter to the Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing
Councillor Jas Athwal, Leader of the Council, and Councillor Vanisha Solanki, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, wrote to Eddie Hughes, the Minister for Rough Sleeping and Homelessness, asking to work with the government to end rough sleeping for people with no recourse to public funds.
Read their letter to the Minister (PDF 146 KB).
Council motion to end rough sleeping
Motion to be moved by the Leader, Councillor Athwal and seconded by Councillor Solanki ending rough sleeping: heard and passed at Full Council Meeting 20 January 2022:
1.1 Full council is asked to support the cabinet’s work on ending rough sleeping for good and challenging the new rules that impact on Redbridge rough sleepers, in particular those subject to the government’s Immigration Rules.
1.2 This council notes the government’s Immigration Rules, published on 22 October 2020 and which came into effect on 1 December 2020, which made rough sleeping grounds for refusing or cancelling a person’s leave to remain in the UK. This administration believes that this change to the rules is discriminatory and further stigmatises and marginalises rough sleepers, putting their safety at risk.
1.3 This council further notes the implementation guidance published by the Government on 20 April 2021 which clarifies how the rules will be implemented
1.4 Rough sleepers face unimaginable obstacles, and these hardships are magnified for those with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). Not only that, but existing legislation ties local authorities’ hands when it comes to helping these individuals. That is why we are calling on the Government to work with us so that when the rules revert on the 1April 2022, we do not have to leave these people to fend for themselves on our streets.
1.5 This council notes the government’s ongoing commitment to end rough sleeping by 2024 – but government action to realise this commitment to date has been limited. By contrast, this council has taken a daring and dynamic approach, working tirelessly to reduce the number of people rough sleeping in Redbridge. Using pandemic funding provided, this administration has delivered proper wrap around support for rough sleepers in Redbridge since the start of the pandemic.
1.6 Redbridge Labour’s achievements in bringing rough sleepers indoors and protecting them from Covid-19, have blazed the trail for other local authorities across the country. Since From March 2020 to date, under this administration the council has supported 389 rough sleepers.
1.7 The table shows the numbers supported as part of this work. Cohort As at Sept 2020 Projected Apr 2021 Actual Apr 2021 As at 26th Nov 2021 Tier 1 low 23 0 10 1 Tier 2 medium 47 19 26 1 Tier 3 high 45 38 30 0 Tier 4 very high 5 0 3 3 Tier 5 NRPF 96 55 85 60
1.8 We have conducted holistic assessments for those sleeping rough to ensure that they receive the range of accommodation and support that they so desperately need. Redbridge Council has gone above and beyond to support its communities and help keep them safe throughout the pandemic, and our work with rough sleepers has been at the heart of this programme.
We have successfully worked with a diverse range of rough sleepers, with a variety of needs, and delivered long-lasting outcomes for these individuals, including getting them into sustainable accommodation.
1.9 We have invested in a multi-million-pound supported housing scheme at Ryedale Court, and we continue to defy all national expectations when it comes to the outcomes that we are delivering for rough sleepers.
1.10 We are calling on the Government to work with us to solve rough sleeping for good. The Government states it is committed to ending rough sleeping – we are willing and ready to work with the government on these five keys asks to end rough sleeping:
1. The Government must continue to fund emergency accommodation and support until an individuals’ status is resolved and let rough sleepers claim local housing allowance and welfare benefits to support their costs. The total cost for Redbridge is estimated at £1m for 2022-3
2. Commit to reducing the amount of time taken to resolve immigration cases
3. Change the evidence threshold for rough sleepers to provide for each year they are in the UK to a reasonable and attainable level
4. Return the 20-year rule of living in the United Kingdom back to the previous 14-year rule – this small change would resolve a significant number of cases
5. Commit to working with Redbridge Council to solve the real cases of hardship our officers are dealing with and use this initiative as a case study
1.11 With the Government’s commitment and engagement, we can solve rough sleeping, but the new immigration rules are likely to set progress back. To end rough sleeping, people experiencing homelessness must be able to confidently approach local services provided by this council, its partners such as the NHS and the wide range of excellent voluntary sector support on offer in our borough
1.12 We have serious concerns that the immigration rules, as proposed, will dissuade many people facing homelessness from accessing those services for fear that their details will be passed to immigration authorities and that this will lead to an increase in rough sleeping.
1.13 All councils work within the rules as set out by Government. Collectively, London Councils are concerned that the new rules harshly and unfairly impact rough sleepers. That is why we are asking this council to make a pledge to choose ending rough sleeping, over creating a harsher environment for the most vulnerable in our society.
1.14 As the Prime Minister said at a visit to London homelessness charity The Connection at St Martin's in February 2020: "The rough sleeping crisis is totally unacceptable.” He continued - "We want to make a big, big dent in those numbers." This council is calling for the Prime Minister and government to back up the rhetoric by working with Redbridge Council on its five key asks (para 1.10) to make progress towards ending rough sleeping.
Redbridge Council pledges
- We will commit to ending rough sleeping in Redbridge
- We will seek a partnership with Government to solve rough sleeping based on our 5 key asks
- We will make no direct referrals under the rough sleeping Immigration Rules
- The council will not require any of our commissioned partners to make referrals or pass data to the Home Office under the Immigration rules.
- The council will only share information and data with the Home Office with the explicit and informed consent of the individual concerned.
Agenda for the Council Meeting held on the 20 January 2022 that includes this motion.
