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Welsh government forms ‘Homelessness Action Group’
Welsh housing and local government minister Julie James has introduced a new Homelessness Action Group tasked with reducing homelessness throughout the country.
The group will examine approaches for ending homelessness and rough sleeping in Wales, the Welsh government said, including what immediate actions could reduce numbers of people on the streets before winter.
It will also consider how to ensure that the Welsh government’s work with other organisations on homelessness is effective.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, will chair the group and the other members will be made up of housing and homelessness experts.
These include: Clarissa Corbisiero, deputy chief executive of Community Housing Cymru; and Clare Budden, chief executive of Pennaf Housing Group.
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Ms James said: “We are committed to ending homelessness in Wales.
“I want to be clear that our strategy is first and foremost prevention. But if homelessness cannot be prevented, we must ensure that it is brief, rare and non-recurrent.
“Jon Sparkes has agreed to lead a Homelessness Action Group to look at these issues.
“They will meet 12 times between this June and March next year reflecting the urgency of the situation and my desire to work at pace to effect a real sea change.”
In 2015 the Welsh government introduced groundbreaking legislation aimed at preventing people from becoming homeless, but while thousands have been helped under the new laws, numbers of households without a stable home have continued to rise.
The group will report directly to the minister during their work and will develop policy recommendations for tackling homelessness. It held its first meeting on Friday.
Mr Sparkes said: “While there has been good progress in recent years, the Welsh government is right to look at how to end homelessness for good across Wales, focusing both on rough sleeping and wider forms of homelessness.”
“The action group will answer a challenging set of questions and will draw on expertise across all parts of Wales, including people with direct experience of homelessness and those who have knowledge of what works to end it.
“I am convinced that it is possible to end homelessness with the right government policies and the right practices in place to prevent and tackle homelessness.
“I firmly believe it can be done in Wales and I look forward to quickly getting to work alongside all members of the action group.”
