Cameron goes on the attack as Tories launch Homelessness Foundation » Housing » 24dash.com

Tory leader David Cameron today branded the plight of Britain's homeless as a "disgrace".

As the Conservatives attempted to steal a march on the Government by billing itself as a "progressive party" on social issues, he said: "I think that it is simply a disgrace that in the fifth-biggest economy in the world that we have people homeless, people sleeping on the streets, sofa-surfers, people in hospitals. I think it is a disgrace."

He was speaking at the east London launch of the Tories' Homelessness Foundation, an attempt to come up with solutions for the thousands of families without a permanent address.

The heads of all the major homeless charities have agreed to sit on the Foundation's advisory panel.

They include John Bird, founder and editor of The Big Issue, Shelter's chief executive Adam Sampson, Crisis chief executive Lesley Morphy, Charles Fraser, the chief executive of St Mundo's, the Homeless Link chief executive Jenny Edwards, and Jeremy Swain, the chief executive of Thames Reach.

In trying to tackle homelessness amid the current economic gloom there is a need to look at some of the possible root causes of homelessness, Mr Cameron said.

These include issues such as poverty, housing affordability, mental health, employment, children who slip through the net after leaving care and military personnel struggling to fit back into society after service.

Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps claimed that just "three years ago or possibly less it would not have been possible to have imagined a serious attempt to tackle homelessness by the Conservatives".

"If we are honest, I think it is true to say that the centre-right has not led on the issue," he said.

Mr Cameron offered greater links with the voluntary sector and to "hopefully put things into practise straight away" in the "swathes" of councils and through the London Mayoralty won at this month's local elections.

He said: "I want the Conservative party to get back to its roots. It should be as concerned with a good society as with a good economy, being a progressive party dealing with poverty and helping with disadvantage."

Mr Sampson described homelessness as a manifestation of personal tragedy as well as a lack of housing.

He said: "We are not building enough homes in this country. This crisis has taken 30 years to develop and will take 15 years to solve - that is why it is so vital that this is a cross-party issue."

Mr Bird said more money has to be pumped into solving issues around the root causes of homelessness which can include people with drug problems because too often they come back time and time again looking for help.

He said: "95% of the money (for homelessness) is used in the emergency sector. Only 5% is spent on cure."

Ms Morphy said "a good society spends its money on its most vulnerable citizens" and as such hopes that a fresh look will be taken across the board at tackling homelessness.

It is important because homelessness affects the benefit and housing systems as well as people who may be on the streets, she added.

She called for a better way of "balancing" the roles between central and local governments in getting to grips with the issue and for London's new mayor Boris Johnson to "create some permeability across London boroughs".

A joint effort across parties and sectors is needed to try to tackle the problem because otherwise it can have a "terribly corrosive effect", she said.

St Mungo’s, London’s largest homeless charity, has today welcomed the establishment of a new Conservative Party think tank on homelessness – The Homelessness Foundation.

St Mungo’s chief executive Charles Fraser, who is on the foundation’s advisory panel, said he was encouraged by the Conservative Party’s engagement on the issue.

“Homelessness remains a blight on 21st century Britain and no political party can afford to ignore its tremendous social impact.

“More than 3,000 people were sleeping rough in London last year and co-ordinated action on housing, healthcare and employment is urgently needed to break this cycle.

“St Mungo’s hopes that The Homelessness Foundation proves to be an effective forum for influencing policy makers across all portfolios with a stake in homelessness – at both national and local level.”