Florence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green and Minister of State for Homelessness, Democracy, Communities and Faith, has written for The Standard about her personal experience of homelessness and the government's new plan to end rough sleeping in London.
A childhood shaped by homelessness
Eshalomi recalls being homeless as a child, living in temporary accommodation with her mother and sisters. She describes 'moving from place to place with our things in suitcases and bin bags' and the relief when her mother got the keys to their first council house in Brixton.
She says many Londoners are not so lucky, with some ending up on the streets. She entered politics to stand up for those suffering such injustices and give them a voice.
Government's £442m package
Eshalomi welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to ending rough sleeping on day one and her role in this as minister. She notes that while there has been a drop in families in B&Bs and more households helped into homes, record numbers remain in temporary accommodation.
Rough sleeping more than doubled during the last Parliament, and the Tories left behind record numbers of children in temporary accommodation. The package announced today, worth £442 million on top of the £3.6 billion National Plan to End Homelessness, is a significant step forward.
Routes off the streets this winter
A new accommodation offer across England will mean everybody in London should have a route off the streets this winter. London is also in line for funding to end long-term rough sleeping, providing secure homes and intensive help for the most complex cases.
Eshalomi adds that the repeal of the Vagrancy Act and the ban on no-fault evictions are tackling root causes, moving from crisis management to prevention. She says ending rough sleeping is personal for her, as it provides the security, stability and dignity that underpins everything else.
