Steve calls for action on homelessness after visiting Christmas shelter
Homelessness has soared across London with hundreds sleeping rough thanks to Conservative welfare cuts and their failure to build enough social housing.
Steve Reed MP today visited an emergency Christmas housing shelter in West Croydon. The shelter, run by the charity Crisis, provides a bed for the night, food, showers, a launderette, and dental and health care for people who would otherwise be sleeping out on the streets in the freezing cold.
Steve said:
I’ve just met some homeless people and volunteers working at Crisis at Christmas’ shelter on the London Road in Croydon. It’s heartbreaking that so many people don’t have the secure home they deserve. Homelessness is not inevitable, the Government has made a choice to allow it by their failure to provide proper care for desperately vulnerable people.
Steven Reed is Labour MP for Croydon North and Shadow Minister for Children and Families. In 2018 his private member’s bill on reducing violent mental health restraint became law. In June 2019 he launched Labour’s civil society strategy outlining radical plans to empower citizens and communities.
Steve chairs the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network, co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for London, was Leader of Lambeth Council 2006-12 where he led the council’s children’s services to become best-rated in the country and pioneered the public-health approach to tackling violent youth crime. He worked in publishing for 16 years and was an elected trade union branch secretary.