‘We need actions, not statements’: Leeds homeless charity reacts to Burnham’s pledge to end rough sleeping
As Andy Burnham promises to end rough sleeping in his first speech as PM, here’s what a Leeds homeless charity thinks 💭
The founders of a Leeds charity say they feel “optimistic” about Andy Burnham’s pledge to end rough sleeping in the UK, but have urged him to match his words with action.
Mr Burnham announced that his Government plans to “end rough sleeping in this country” in his first speech as Prime Minister on Monday (June 20).
The new Labour leader also said that he will “put the care of the people at the heart” of his decisions in office.
Becky and Shelley Joyce, founders of Homeless Street Angels, a charity which provides direct outreach on the streets of Leeds, have welcomed the pledge but questioned how it will work in practice.
“I think it’s such a broad statement to say he’s going to eradicate it completely, because that’s not humanly, financially, or physically possible,” Shelley told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“It’s great that he’s hitting on some major topics at the core of everybody’s mind at the moment.
“From a political stance, he’s going down the best route possible. But we need actions rather than statements.”
Becky added: “We’ve heard it all before. Prince William two years ago said he was going to do exactly the same.
“Nothing’s changed but [Burnham] has proved to be able to do quite some good things with regards to homelessness, so I am in hope.”
The Government announced that the Prime Minister’s pledge will be backed by an additional £340 million, which brings overall national homelessness funding to record levels.
Homeless Street Angels has praised this new investment, but said it is important that the funding is used effectively.
Shelley said: “We are optimistic...but where is this funding going to come from and how is it going to be spent?”
Becky added: “I think more funding needs to go to the grassroots. Small charities like us - we do it from the heart, we do it with passion.
“You have to make sure everything’s put in place to be able to offer continued support. More funding is needed because we struggle all the time; it’s really hard for us.”
Homeless Street Angels has supported the homeless community across Leeds since 2017.
They say they have noticed a “dramatic increase” in service demand in recent years, with over 1,000 clients on their food bank register.
In her experience of outreach, Becky noted that she has witnessed a growth in anti-social behaviour as people living on the streets feel unseen and unheard.
“It’s getting quite severe on the streets of Leeds,” Becky said.
“They feel ignored and they’re starting to fight back in my eyes. You can feel the tension.”
The charity has also seen a wider variety of demographics turn to their services for support.
Shelley said: “We’ve noticed more people with jobs coming to us wanting support, people who previously have been able to support themselves and have a great lifestyle, they’re struggling now to pay the bills even though they're still working.
“It’s not just people on benefits that use our food bank, it’s a whole range of different people from all over Leeds. Everybody is struggling at the moment.”
With a reliance on donations and voluntary support, Homeless Street Angels encourages anyone who is able to support the charity to reach out through their website.
Mr Burnham’s aim to end rough sleeping matches a similar pledge he made when elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017.
Numbers of rough sleepers in the region did initially drop by 67% from 268 people in 2017 to 89 people in 2021.
Since then, the number of rough sleepers in Greater Manchester has continued to rise, though it remains below 2017 figures.
Government strategies under Burnham’s leadership as Prime Minister will include the provision of 1,200 homes and intensive support for at least 3,000 people.
For Homeless Street Angels, it’s important that any efforts address the causes of homelessness alongside its effects.
“Our stance is prevention is better than the cure. Try and stop people from getting homeless in the first place,” Shelley said.
“You’ve got to tackle it from the very beginning, and then you’ll see a difference.”
Councillor Asghar Khan, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing and hubs said: “The council works hard to try to ensure all vulnerable people, including those experiencing homelessness, are given proper support.
“Emergency accommodation and support is available to anyone suffering homelessness in Leeds, and if anyone has concerns for the welfare of a person sleeping rough they are asked to contact StreetLink.”
Cllr Khan added that Leeds Street Support Partnership and services commissioned by Leeds City Council such as the Crypt, St Annes, Change Grow Live and BARCA-Leeds “work tirelessly” with people rough sleeping “to get the right help to meet people’s needs”.