DISABILITY TALK EXCLUSIVE!
On the 19th June this year, we published an article about homelessness (if you were Prime Minister how would you remedy the UK’s homelessness problems?) and asked both the Tory Leadership Contenders to give us their thoughts. Jeremy Hunt has replied to us and these are his views.
“Thank you for contacting me about homelessness in the UK.
I fully understand your concerns about the number of people sleeping rough on our streets. I think we have to be honest, and say that this is an area where we can, and must do better.”
“I have therefore committed to rolling out the Housing First Approach, which has been piloted in the West Midlands, Liverpool and Manchester. This approach operates on the basis that once homelessness is resolved, other clinical and social issues will be resolved much faster. I have committed to rolling out the programme to London and at least two other UK cities.
This means immediate, or near immediate access to to permanent accommodation for people on the streets without a housing readiness assessment.”
“Improving housing supply is part of the long term solution to homelessness. I have committed to building 1.5 million new homes over 5 years via a new Right to Own, and to making it easier to build upward to five stories in existing urban areas.
Once again thank you for taking time to write to me about this important issue.”
Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP
Member of Parliament for South West Surrey www.jeremyhuntwsurrey.org.uk