Alex Kennedy, Campaigns Manager
The London Elections
•Fifth Mayoral Election
•First one to not be won by Ken or Boris
•Taking place 5th May 2016
•Same day as the Greater London Assembly
election
Why does it matter?
• Before 2008 the Mayor’s responsibility for
homelessness was limited
• Successful campaigning led all candidates to commit
to end rough sleeping
• That failed because of housing crisis, benefit cuts…
• …but that commitment led to far more focus on
homelessness in City Hall
Why does it matter?
• Next mayor will have:
• A £34m homelessness budget
• Powers to commission and coordinate
homelessness services
• Powers on housing, policing, public health
and transport
Why does it matter?
• But 7,500 slept rough last year, double
figure in 2009/10.
• We need ambition and policies to match
the scale of the problem, not business as
usual
• Risk that even though housing will be a
big focus, homelessness could get
forgotten
Lead London Home
Lead London Home
Lead London Home
• 999 Club
• Albert Kennedy
Trust
• Bench Outreach
• Big Issue
Foundation
• Cardboard Citizens
• Cardinal Hume
Centre
• Centrepoint
• Crisis
• DePaul
• Divine Rescue
• Evolve
• Homeless Link
• Housing Justice
• Pathway
• Robes Project
• SHP
• St Mungo's
• Streets of London
• Thames Reach
• The Connection at
St Martin's
• The Passage
• Trinity Homeless
Projects
• West London
Mission
• YMCA England
Social media
Guests:
Volunteers:
Online action
Almost 3000 online actions –
petition and messages direct
to candidates
Online action
“I was homeless in 2015. I was lucky to secure a place with
No Second Night Out after approaching some Outreach
workers from Westminster. I now have a small private
studio and am extremely grateful.
Other homeless rough sleepers I know are not so lucky.
They have fallen through the loop-holes in the law and
cannot get housing because they were not in one place
long enough so they do not exist.”
What we’re calling for (1)
The next Mayor of London should:
1.Lead a new drive to end rough sleeping, including providing
at least 2000 homes and a Housing First programme for
former rough sleepers.
2.Prioritise homelessness prevention and support calls for a
new law so that no one can be turned away by councils to
sleep on the streets.
3.Increase access to private rented sector housing and
tenancy support for people on the lowest income.
What we’re calling for (2)
The next Mayor of London should:
3.End destitution by working across the European Union to
find solutions to EU nationals sleeping on the streets.
4.Embed the needs of homeless people at the heart of
London’s public services.
5.Fight for a better deal for London to mitigate the negative
impact of welfare reform on people who are homeless and at
risk of homelessness.
Sadiq Khan’s manifesto
• Set up a ‘No Nights Sleeping Rough’ initiative –taskforce
to oversee implementation of Mayor’s rough sleeping work
& funding priorities.
• Focus young people facing homelessness, including
prevention measures such as family mediation and steps to
help young people into work.
• Coordinate councils’ efforts to find stable private
rented housing instead of desperate boroughs being forced
to outbid each other for homes from landlords.
Caroline Pigeon
• “I fully support the Lead London Home manifesto and
would not only protect London’s existing budget for
tackling homelessness but would also initiate a new drive
to end rough sleeping in the capital.
• Alongside this I would also conduct a full review of the help
given to single homeless people, many of whom are
currently deemed ‘not vulnerable enough’ to get help from
local councils.”
Sian Berry
George Osborne
• £100 million to fund 2000 units of accommodation for
move on from hostels and domestic violence refuges
• £10 million to develop innovative ways to support rough
sleepers “particularly in London”
• Doubling of the rough sleeping Social Impact Bond (5 to 10
million) to include funding for Housing First approaches
• Rolling out of new approaches to reconnect rough
sleepers from the EU to return to their home countries
Coming up
•
•
•
•
Contacting GLA candidates and MPs
Hustings event
Drawing attention to borough level CHAIN stats
Continue to promote online email action and
social media
• Responding to manifestos – pushing candidates
for more
How you can help
• Take action: www.leadlondonhome.org
• Promote to clients, volunteers,
supporters
• Raise the issue on the doorstep
• Call LBC on Tuesday morning!