Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services – in the Senedd at 2:37 pm on 29 November 2017.
Can I say, Llywydd, I agree with the Minister that this is an important matter at this time of year, because we naturally, as Christmas approaches, think in particular of people who are having to sleep on the streets? But it really is a longstanding problem and it occurs all around the year, and it is multifaceted, you're quite right, in terms of why people feel forced to live on the streets. You're right about data collection. It has improved, and this probably accounts for some of the perceived increase, but The Wallich recently carried out a survey and recorded a 21 per cent increase in rough-sleepers in Swansea, a 67 per cent increase in Bridgend, and a 93 per cent increase in Newport. There are some signs of real initiative and hope as well. You may have seen in today's Western Mail the homelessness charity Llamau have announced a new project and they've had a lot of support from the business community in setting up, or seeking to set up, a helpline for, particularly, young people who are on the verge of living, or who may have just gone to live, on the streets. But, because of the multifaceted nature of this challenge, I wonder if the Welsh Government needs to do something really quite decisive—for instance, by declaring that it believes a housing first approach is the main way to combat rough-sleeping.