The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has put forward a plan of action to end rough sleeping in London by 2030.
One of Khan's pledges in the run-up to his third election victory last May was to bring an end to rough sleeping in the capital, endured by some 12,000 people. Said the Mayor at the time: "A vote for Labour on 2 May is a vote to end the indignity, fear and isolation felt by those forced to endure a life on the street once and for all."
Largely on Khan's watch (he was first voted as Mayor of London in 2016), rough sleeping has risen around 58% in the past decade. However, since taking office, the budget for dealing with rough sleeping has been increased fivefold, from £8.45 million to £44.8 million a year. City Hall under Khan has also helped some 18,000 people into accommodation — with three quarters of these no longer rough sleepers.
But it's now clear he wants to ramp things up. On the refreshed 'to do' list:
- End the current requirement for Londoners to be seen bedded down on the streets before they can access support. The Mayor says this will be done by 2028.
- Open a network of 24/7 'Ending Homelessness Hubs' across the city.
- Establish a new rough sleeping prevention phone line.
- Put more support workers and volunteers in community settings such as day centres and food banks.
- Utilise £17m of new government funding to refurbish up to 500 empty homes.
The additional government funding is perhaps a key reason why Khan believes his goal is now obtainable. Said the Mayor: "The last time we came close to ending rough sleeping, we had a Mayor and a government on the same page, with the same ambition. Now, we have the opportunity to do the same again."
If Khan can pull this plan off, it will surely go down as one of his greatest legacies. But with just five years to accomplish it, this is a tall order.
