2023-11-09 13:00:38
Living on the street, a chosen “way of life”? These comments from the United Kingdom Home Secretary provoked an outcry in a context of a cost of living crisis which is pushing a record number of Britons to resort to food aid.
In a message published on Saturday on X (formerly Twitter), the very conservative Suella Braverman said she wanted to prevent homeless people from pitching their tents on public roads. “We cannot allow our streets to be invaded by rows of tents occupied by people, often strangers, for whom living on the streets is a chosen way of life. »
The British people are compassionate. We will always support those who are genuinely homeless. But we cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice. 1/4 https://t.co/fT1Ou5kD5Q
— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) November 4, 2023
This declaration provoked the anger of associations, the Labor opposition and even certain conservative elected officials at a time when the United Kingdom, the sixth largest economy in the world, is going through a severe housing and cost of living crisis fueled by inflation. Even Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has distanced himself from his minister’s hard line.
According to figures released in October by the government, 104,510 households were living in temporary accommodation in England between March 2022 and March 2023, an increase of 10% compared to the same period the previous year and the highest level since 1998. , date of the first data on the subject.
In London, 3,272 people slept on the streets of the British capital between April and June 2023 — and almost half of them for the first time.
Housing shortage
“Pointing the finger at these people will only deter them from seeking help and push them into poverty, putting them at greater risk of exploitation,” wrote homeless charity Crisis in an open letter to the government. “In the worst case scenario, we will see an increase in the number of deaths and fatal accidents that could be avoided.”
The situation is all the more critical as rents have soared in recent years. The recent rise in interest rates has further exacerbated the housing shortage: some homeowners bought cheap homes when interest rates were low, and now have to sell them to repay their loans.
The government has repeatedly committed to putting an end to evictions without justification, which are increasing sharply, but is slow to implement a measure that is not popular with owners. “Decades of inaction have now brought us to sky-high rents, rising evictions and record levels of homelessness, with ministers blaming everyone but themselves,” warns Polly Neate, chief executive of the charity Shelter.
Record distribution of food parcels
A sign of the difficulties of the British, the Trussell Trust, the largest network of food banks in the United Kingdom, announced on Wednesday that the number of food parcels distributed had reached unprecedented levels: 1.5 million between April and September 2023, i.e. increase of 16% compared to 2022.
“We expect this winter to be the worst we have ever experienced,” explains Helen Barnard, one of the leaders of this association which manages 1,400 food banks. Nearly 65% of people who come to pick up packages “are parents, with children, who have difficulty paying the bills,” she notes.
After peaking at 11.1% in October 2022 — the highest in 41 years — inflation fell to 6.7% in the United Kingdom in September 2023, which remains the highest rate of all G7 countries.
Beyond inflation, charities believe welfare cuts over the past decade and housing shortages have exacerbated food poverty.
“Many people are using money they should be spending on food to pay their rent and avoid eviction,” says Helen Barnard. “Ten years ago there were virtually no food banks in the UK. Today, a generation of children is growing up believing that it is normal to have a food bank in every community.”
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