Which brings us on to the short debate, and I call on Jack Sargeant—. If you're going to leave the Chamber, can you do so quickly, then, please?

So, we now move to the short debate and I call on Jack Sargeant to speak on the topic he has chosen. Jack.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm very pleased to lead this short debate, focusing on a barrier that many people face when they try to get off the street and receive the support they so desperately need. For me, personally, especially if I've had a difficult day, whether that's in work, personal circumstances or whether it's my football team losing, there are few better things than being welcomed home by my dog, Joseph. Now, who is going to look after Joey if my family and I go away for the weekend is often an issue we face. Unfortunately, that's the reality every single evening for someone sleeping rough or someone who is homeless. 

One person sleeping rough on our streets is one person too many. Rough-sleeping is sadly evident in all major towns and cities, but, unlike in the past, it is now also increasing in all of our local communities and villages. This is not acceptable and, in my view, it is not inevitable. Decent housing should be a basic human right in a rich country like ours. As the Minister for Housing and Local Government said in her statement last week, the Government's own statistics show that demand on services in increasing, with over 10,000 households presenting to local authorities in 2018-19 as at risk of being homeless within 56 days and 11,000 presenting as already homeless. 

A country is judged on how it treats its most vulnerable, and I'm afraid to say that, in too many areas, we are failing people who are homeless. It's why last year I decided to spend an evening on the streets of Chester, along with the team from Share Shop, and as well I joined, on the streets of Cardiff, my colleague Bethan Sayed to sell The Big Issue.

Both of these experiences showed me the importance of community and the importance of not being a bystander. The worst part of those experiences was having people walk past you looking down; the sense of isolation was awful. We also know that mental health and loneliness are particularly rife amongst those most vulnerable who find themselves living on our streets. For many, owning a dog is the only means of contact they'll make, and a source of strength to support them through their night. They could be the sole light of someone's existence. 

Dogs on the street, whether you agree with it or not, are here to stay. That's why drawing on the Hope Project, led by the Dogs Trust, is so important for the context of this short debate. Sadly, most accommodation providers in the UK still operate a 'no dogs' policy, meaning that homeless dog owners are denied access to the shelter and support they so desperately need. It's a self-defeating policy, which means providers aren't able to open accessible nor offer support to the very people that they should be trying to help. The Hope Project works with hostels and housing providers to encourage them to accept clients with dogs. The Dogs Trust is working in partnership with Homeless UK to provide a directory of dog-friendly hostels. Currently, less than 10 per cent of hostels in the UK are dog-friendly, meaning that many dog owners are denied access to that shelter and support simply because they have a pet. 

Across Wales, only eight hostels operate a dog-friendly policy. Eighteen of our 22 local authorities have no dog-friendly hostels at all. I'm very grateful to The Wallich, Tresillian House, The Ambassador YMCA and the Salvation Army, all of which allow pet dogs into their accommodation. Across the border in England, the situation is just as bad. According to the Hope Project, only one hostel operates a dog-friendly policy in the west midlands. The picture in Northern Ireland is similar, with only one dog-friendly hostel listed in the entire country, based in Belfast. And, in Scotland, there are two throughout the country, both based in Edinburgh.

Now, some will say that the person looking for accommodation should just give away their dog. Now, Deputy Llywydd, I could never do that, and that is a decision they definitely should not have to make. There are many benefits to accepting dogs into hostels, not just for the owners and the dogs themselves, but for staff and other residents. When homeless people are forced to choose between their dog and a hostel place, most will, understandably, choose to stay with their dog, as their dog is most often their best friend, their companion. The bond between any dog owner and a dog is a strong one, but it will never be more so than with that of homeless people.

By ensuring we open up hostels to dog owners, we can ensure we are giving people access not only to the shelter, but all the help, advice and support a hostel can give them, and that's the very thing we are trying to achieve. This would mean that staff working in dog-friendly hostels could help homeless people who wouldn't usually engage with those services. Talking to someone that's homeless about their dog, engaging in that conversation, could also lead on to other conversations where staff might be able to help and support in other ways. Staff at dog-friendly hostels across the UK say that having dogs at their hostel lightens the atmosphere and makes the hostel feel more homely.

Now, whilst dogs provide that much-needed friendship and companionship, we know that their health can be impacted by the conditions in which they live as well, and that could be the case on the streets or in shelter. So, that's why the veterinary scheme is also another part of the project, which provides free veterinary treatment to dogs whose owners are homeless or in housing crisis. Dogs who are part of the scheme are entitled to free flea and worming treatments, vaccinations and microchipping, and the Dogs Trust will also fund most additional necessary treatments that the dogs may need. The scheme runs in 113 towns and cities across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and I'd like to pay tribute to all those local veterinary practices, charities and other homeless organisations who make this type of support possible. 

Deputy Llywydd, I'm very grateful that, in a statement last week, the Minister mentioned Housing First, an issue that I brought to this Chamber last year. She's right that having a housing first policy in Wales means that people can secure permanent, secure accommodation where pets are welcome and can turn it into a home. But I'm also acutely aware that, whilst having a housing first policy is obviously where we want to be, and there's some fantastic work going on, people are still having to use temporary accommodation where 'no dogs' policies exist. So, in my mind, something needs to be done now to deal with these issues in temporary accommodation and not just rely on Housing First. 

Temporary accommodation provided by the local authority is often sourced from the private rental sector, and often 'temporary' can mean several years in reality. Crucially, this, along with the 'no dogs' policy, causes a broken system and blockage in the system. If a homeless person is allowed their dog in a hostel but not at the next stage of temporary accommodation, then they will be reluctant to move on. If the only option is to give up their pet, they won't, and they will very likely end up back on the streets. The blockage in the middle of the housing process, essentially facilitating bed blocking at hostel level, is something that needs to be addressed by the local authority, perhaps with assistance or incentives from the Government, who have the ability to adapt the guidance for future housing duties.

So, moving forward, what can we all do? Personally, I'm looking forward to meeting quite a number of groups and people with an interest in this issue over the next few weeks and exploring exactly what I can do beyond this debate to influence the Government and others. I also think the Government must focus on securing the 'move on' pathways and crucially ensure that no-one who refuses temporary accommodation because they will not accept pets has their housing duty discharged, because this traps them in a cycle of homelessness and it also traps their beloved pet. 

In closing, and before the Minister replies to this important debate, I did want to play a video commissioned by the Dogs On The Streets charity, but I don't think the 90 seconds that we are allowed out of the five minutes would have done it enough justice. DOTS, headed up by Michelle, currently operates weekly in London, as well as running regular services in other major cities across the UK, and it has a view to expand further. With a fully equipped mobile veterinary surgery vehicle, allowing ease of access to dogs in need, DOTS ensures all the essential items and services are provided for free each and every week, from food provisions to new harnesses and leads, plus training and grooming sessions. The video tells us the story of Damo and his dog Gypsy and why this issue I've brought in front of the Chamber today is so very important. So, in the words of Damo, 'Everyone needs a companion.'

Finally, Deputy Llywydd, let's change what I and so many others see as a major injustice, not only to people that are homeless, but to their dogs too. Diolch yn fawr. 

Thank you. I call on the Minister for Housing and Local Government to reply to the debate—Julie James.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to thank Jack Sargeant very much for raising this important issue in the Chamber today. I wholeheartedly agree that, for many people forced to sleep rough on the streets of our towns and cities, their dog or other animal is a crucial companion to help them cope with the situation they find themselves in. Their dog may be the only constant and dependable factor in their life. The dog will never have let them down, it's trusted and loved and offers comfort in a world where, for many, it can seem as if the world has ceased to care about them. As Jack said, pets can also make the difference between success and failure when a housing solution is found, helping to increase the chances of accommodation being sustained in the long term when they are welcomed in that accommodation. 

I absolutely agree that a person's dog should not be a barrier to them coming into services and it's completely unacceptable that this is sometimes the case. I am aware that, increasingly, many of our hostel emergency provisions across Wales do cater for companion pets. However, in the majority of cases, this also quite rightly includes a risk assessment and can be determined at the discretion of the landlord or on-site project manager. I appreciate that that risk assessment in itself is a deterrent to some people who need to access shelter and services. But an allowance must be made and flexibility must be provided to ensure we are meeting the needs of individuals, be that someone with a pet, a couple seeking joint accommodation, or someone keen to avoid contact with drink or drugs. 

However, we also need to recognise that emergency accommodation and hostels are not homes, as Jack also pointed out. We will not genuinely be meeting the needs of any individual until we find a long-term suitable housing option for them, regardless of how good our emergency accommodation might be. As I set out in my statement last week, and in my response to the homelessness action group's first report published yesterday, I'm very clear that our approach needs to be one of rapidly rehousing people into suitable long-term homes that meet their needs. Members will know that we're rolling out the Housing First approach in Wales, as Jack also referred. We've invested £1.6 million this year alone, which will provide support to over 100 complex rough-sleepers. These individuals will be supported into long-term accommodation—in some cases, their first home in a considerable number of years—and then offered the wraparound support they need to make a success of that new home.

A key principle of Housing First is choice and control for the individual. So, if someone who has a pet on which they rely as a trusted companion has been identified as needing support under the programme, they will be supported into sustainable accommodation that accepts their pet.

The Government’s strategic policy statement on homelessness sets out the policy principles on which our cross-Government work on tackling and preventing homelessness will be based. So, they are: the earliest and most effective prevention; ensuring tackling homelessness is a public services matter rather than merely housing; person-centred support; homelessness legislation being the last line of defence and not the first; and services and practice informed by co-production and ensuring those with lived experiences play a pivotal part in shaping our services.

Our ambition is clear: prevention should mean early, primary, and secondary prevention and that in the rare instances where homelessness cannot be prevented, it should be brief, with individuals and households supported back into accommodation quickly and in a way that is most likely to succeed. This is about ensuring we accommodate people in the right homes, in the right communities, with the right support—be that from friends and family or from more formal support services—to give them the best possible chance of success. And, of course, that right home may well mean one where their dog or other pet is also welcome. However, the right support might also involve mental health, substance misuse, primary care, community safety and housing services all working together—multidisciplinary teams supporting individuals to address their needs.

There is no absence of hard work, will and dedication across statutory services, third sector and charities to the cause of ending rough-sleeping. However, in the face of growing numbers and increasing challenges, I’m asking everyone to accept that we need to find a different way to tackle this issue and to overcome it once and for all. That’s why I've asked that action group to work independently and make recommendations against four key questions.

Their first report, which was published yesterday, looks specifically at rough-sleeping. The report makes a number of recommendations for immediate action and others for the longer term. I was clear in my response yesterday that I accept them all in principle. I was also at pains to ensure that, as a Government, we match the action group’s pace and commitment. I hope colleagues will agree that the actions we have set out in response to that first report demonstrate clearly our commitment to working differently, listening to experts and acting swiftly and decisively.

The report and our response are informed by research and lived experience. Assertive outreach will be at the heart of our response as will genuine collaboration across all organisations working in the sector, be they statutory, third sector or charity and church groups. The focus will be on finding routes to long-term sustainable housing outcomes for individuals.

We will invest in our national network of outreach workers to ensure that they are empowered and supported to be assertive, flexible, and innovative in the quest for long-term housing solutions for the people they engage. To assist them, we are also intent on facilitating and increasing local multi-agency networks. We intend to explore how a personalised budget approach might help to better meet the needs of individuals and enable front-line workers to respond quickly and flexibly.

We will be making additional funding available to those local authorities with the highest levels of rough-sleeping to support them in delivering against the action group's recommendations. There will also be funding to ensure emergency provisions of suitable quality and variety to meet the differing needs of rough-sleeping populations, including the issue about their pets. But this isn't about increasing the number of emergency beds available and needed, but about ensuring that emergency beds meet the needs of those approaching them. We're also committed to bringing together housing providers in those same areas in order to identify and maximise all of the available temporary and longer term housing. All housing providers must understand and embrace the role they need to play to help us tackle and prevent homelessness.

We sit here on the precipice of what may be a defining period in this country's history, the result of which may be an economic crisis that could push significant parts of our society even closer to the brink of homelessness. We must make supporting our most vulnerable members of society a priority not just in words, but in deeds. We must concentrate our efforts on long-term solutions for those who find themselves without a home, and at the same time on stemming the flow of families and individuals, who, for whatever reason, find themselves unable to sustain that home. Emergency and hostel accommodation are important, yes, but overall we need policies and practices that lead us to a future where they are not needed and where every single person and their pet has the home that they need longer term. Diolch.

Thank you.