Charity urges Lords not to criminalise squatting

Published by Julien Tremblin for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government

A homelessness charity is urging the House of Lords not to criminalise squatting ahead of its reading on proposed legislation changes this week.

Under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, squatters in residential properties would be subject to a £5,000 fine or up to a year in prison.

London charity Providence Row is calling on the Lords to block the measure, over fears it would penalise those who have no other options.

Last year, over 1,000 people reported to the charity that they had resorted to squatting as an alternative to sleeping on the streets - 20 per cent of all people seeking help from the charity.

Providence Row’s CEO Pam Orchard said: “Squatting is not a lifestyle choice. These squats are not luxury apartments taken over when the residents are on holiday.

“They are often dangerous derelict buildings which have been condemned as unfit for human inhabitation. Our clients tell us about the lack of running water and electricity, sometimes with no toilets, and high levels of violence.”

The charity urges the Government to fight the problem at its roots by providing more supported housing. A cohesive approach between public sector and voluntary homelessness services to target squats will ensure that squatters can move into more sustainable accommodation and get help with the problems they face, the charity explains.

Providence says many squatters are a long way from living independently for a range of reasons including mental health problems and addictions.

Ms Orchard said: “There is no doubt that squatting is an unacceptable way to live. However in order to solve the problem we need to remove the barriers these people face, not impose more, and help them into safe housing and eventually, work.”

The Government's Welfare Reform Bill has recently been defeated seven times by the House of Lords, leading ministers to invoke financial privilege, preventing peers from overruling MPs on matters of spending.