4. Statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government: Homelessness

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:08 pm on 8 October 2019.

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Photo of Caroline Jones Caroline Jones UKIP 4:08, 8 October 2019

Thank you for your statement, Minister. The fact that anyone is homeless in the twenty-first century in Britain is morally reprehensible. Successive Governments, both here and at Westminster, have failed to ensure sufficient high-quality housing to meet demand. And even though Governments now accept they need to do more, they are still not doing enough. Meeting demand requires forward planning, which is sadly lacking here, and words are not enough.

In Wales, we're not building enough affordable housing to meet the Government's own targets, let alone meet the true demand. Of the households eligible for homelessness assistance in the past 12 months, only 80 per cent were positively supported. In some parts of Wales, only around half of the households receive the necessary support. I am pleased that you are working with Crisis, but note that the number of new dwellings that have started construction in the past 12 months as fallen, as has the number of dwellings completed.

Far too many people are finding themselves forced into temporary accommodation or, worse, forced to sleep in shop doorways or tents on wasteland. Little children and other vulnerable people are suffering.

Minister, I welcome your affirmation that homelessness should be a rarity. Of course, that shouldn't have to have a strategic policy statement. What difference do you envision that such a statement will make to services on the ground? You say in your statement that homelessness cannot be solved by housing alone, and that's true, especially when it comes to rough-sleepers. Most homeless people have complex needs.

Minister, the vast majority of rough-sleepers in the UK are ex-forces. What is your Government doing in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence and forces charities to improve support for former armed forces personnel, because our veterans are committing suicide because of a lack of support, with housing being a huge issue? One can only imagine the ingratitude that these veterans feel after serving their country and coming home to having not even their basic human rights addressed.

Finally, Minister, a large reason that a number of ex-offenders reoffend is because of a lack of housing and support services. There is no support mechanism for the majority who come out. During my time as a prison officer, I saw many young people—and not just young people, either—come through the prison doors because they had been sent out with their meagre possessions in black bags and nowhere to go. So, Minister, are you working with the Ministry of Justice to reduce homelessness in ex-offenders? Thank you again for your statement. I look forward to significant progress in tackling homelessness in the next 12 months. Diolch yn fawr.