AM: Well, there are things about that that I do agree with. But when those are the only services there are a lot of people who won't fit into this structured approach and who will be rejected. And what's going to happen to them? Are they supposed to starve to death on the streets? I wouldn't find that acceptable.
The local authorities say if people won't sign up to what is basically a care plan then they won't be entitled to services. That is the line that the authorities are starting to take.
We at Housing Justice believe it's important that people do have the motivation and encouragement, help, and that the services are there to help people in need and plenty of them - plenty of beds, plenty of rehabilitation beds and detox beds.
That's one of the reasons that people don't take up the offer of services, because there aren't enough. There is a shortage of services in London. For everyone sleeping on the streets there isn't a bed.
CT: And is Housing Justice working in tandem with the local authority to solve that problem?
AM: I am trying to join up the different viewpoints. I am acting to try to bridge that gap and speak to churches about the work of the local authorities and to local authorities about the work of the churches, the significant befriending and support work that churches and other groups are doing.
I'm trying to create a smarter system basically because I think churches are good at doing some things and local authority outreach teams are good at doing some things and they should be working more together.
The churches can provide a complementary service that would never be funded by the local authority but which could provide an extra level to the safety net to make sure that people don't starve and don't feel they are completely on their own, and they could also get alongside people to encourage them to take up the offers of help that are available.
CT: We have a new Prime Minister. What are you hoping he will bring in terms of housing?
AM: We hope he will bring through more affordable social housing. That is the background to any discussion about homelessness. It's not the only reason but it is an enormous reason why the hostels are full. There's nowhere to move them onto. Hostels are designed to be short-term accommodation while people are getting assessments and treatment if they need it, but six months or a year later they should be able to move on.
One group the hostels are not well set up to help are people whose only problem is homelessness and a lack of somewhere to live. The hostels have moved more towards people with support needs, and for the people who could work but don't have somewhere to live, housing, flats and bedsits are really expensive. Wages for single people and then the cost of housing; it's a difficult one.
We would really like to see more reasonably priced rented accommodation for working people. That's the affordable housing issue, the fact that housing has become such a tool of wealth creation and that is really incompatible with the role of housing to provide for people's short-term and other needs.
