Homelessness: the Vagrancy Act

Written by David Fletcher 21 Nov 2019
Homelessness: the Vagrancy Act

Homelessness is not a crime. The 1824 Vagrancy Act, which makes rough sleeping and begging illegal in England, is needlessly pushing vulnerable people further from help, according to a report from Crisis. The Government is reviewing the act as part of its rough sleeping strategy. Leading figures from across the political spectrum and the police, including former Met Commissioner Lord Hogan-Howe, have called for the repeal of the act, branding it out of date, inhumane and unfit to deal with the modern challenges of addressing rough sleeping and begging. Although some changes came into force on 7 November and further changes are being considered, this outdated and damaging act has not been repealed. Please pray for it to be completely abolished, and soon. See

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