Tim Loughton MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, has backed a new Bill to help tackle homelessness during a crucial vote in parliament.
Tim Loughton joined MPs from across the political divide in backing the Homelessness Reduction Bill at its second reading this week (Oct 28), helping to bring the bill one step closer to becoming law.
Proposed by Conservative MP Bob Blackman and supported by homelessness charities including Crisis, the bill could transform the help available to homeless people in the UK. However, if fewer than 100 MPs had attended the debate, the bill could easily have been blocked, making support from MPs critical.
Homelessness is rising, yet, the law as it stands means that homeless people who approach their council for help can be turned away to sleep on the street. If passed, the new law would help to prevent people from losing their home in the first place and make sure all homeless people can get help when they need it, whilst continuing to protect families with children from homelessness.
The Bill has the backing of the Government, the opposition and the Communities and Local Government Select Committee following an in-depth inquiry.
Tim said:
“This is about basic social justice. Nobody should be forced to sleep rough because they can’t get the help they need.
“I’ve personally heard from local constituents who were unable to get help when they became homeless. It’s time we took action. We need to make sure that anyone facing homelessness can get help, ideally before they actually lose their home. That’s why I’m backing the Homelessness Reduction Bill put forward by Bob Blackman MP, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the house to offer their support as it moves through parliament.
“During the debate, I raised two particularly absurd situations; first, where people have to wait until the bailiffs arrive to be evicted before they are able to get help from the housing department, which is one of the reasons why private landlords are reluctant on taking housing benefit tenants; second, children in care or those leaving care can be evicted from council owned housing only then for their local council to pick up the bill for looking after them. I was pleased that Bob Blackman was able to confirm that both these areas are dealt with in his Bill.”
Crisis Chief Executive Jon Sparkes said:
“This is a landmark moment, and we’d like to thank Mr Tim Loughton for backing this unique bill. We still have a long way to go before it becomes law, but we’ll be there every step of the way to help make sure it happens.
“We have the momentum and we have the cross party consensus, and today’s success shows what can be done when people come together to help tackle homelessness. Yet this is no time for complacency. We must continue to build on what we’ve achieved today, both to get the bill through parliament and to make it work for homeless people if and when it finally becomes law.”