Success of Everyone In exposed rough sleeping problem

The Public Accounts Committee has said that the notable pandemic response success of the ‘Everyone In’ initiative has exposed gaps in the government’s approach to tackling rough sleeping.

Alongside local authorities and the voluntary sector, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government made a ‘considerable achievement’ in the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in spring 2020, moving quickly and decisively to house people sleeping rough.

It is reported that the scheme potentially avoided some 20,000 transmissions of the virus and limiting deaths among this highly vulnerable population to an estimated 16, against around 37,430 people who had been helped into accommodation by January 2021.

However, MPs point out that the above number is nearly nine times MHCLG'S last official estimate of people sleeping rough on England’s streets, made before the start of the pandemic, of 4,266. Furthermore, MHCLG still does not have a plan for achieving or maintaining the government’s 2019 election commitment to end rough sleeping by May 2024: three years from now.

Blasting the department’s ‘disappointing evasiveness’, the committee says that it remains uncertain whether its objective of providing 3,300 homes for people sleeping rough by the end of March 2021 will be met. It has distributed £161 million funding for these homes, but contrary to its previous accounts to the committee, it expects the majority to involve the leasing or purchasing existing buildings rather than new additions to the housing stock.

Additionally, this accommodation is expected to be temporary, with stays of on average two years, and MHCLG has not given details on how this will contribute to ending rough sleeping or what will be available for people to move into afterwards.

Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: "Everyone In was a success with local authorities and voluntary organisations working to help people living on the street into hostels and hotel rooms in a matter of days. But the Everyone In initiative has exposed the scale of the task the Ministry of Housing faces to meet the government’s commitment to end rough sleeping in three years.

“Rough sleeping was a massive public health issue long before the pandemic, and much larger than government has previously publicly acknowledged. MHCLG now has a huge opportunity to capitalise on this success in the pandemic response and begin to reverse its long record of failed and abandoned housing targets and policies. People without recourse to public funds are still left exposed and risk losing support. Support for these people is urgent."