Homeless people were evicted from their sleeping spot next to a UCLH

• THE government recently released its data on rough sleeping across the country.

The picture painted was not a pretty one, with increases in people living on the street everywhere. Sadly the borough with the largest increase was Camden.

The Labour-run Camden Council have tried in the past to solve the rough sleeping problem, but recently have been seen treating people living on the street with disdain.

You may remember that last November the council were complicit in its contractors throwing someone’s tent into the bin, (Homeless tents tossed into a rubbish truck, the images that shame Camden, November 16).

That’s someone whose home has now disappeared, meaning the possibility of a freezing cold night with no protection from the elements.

In my opinion housing is the number one issue facing young people in our capital right now.

While steps have been made much remains to be accomplished, including raising awareness and effectively guiding those in need to the services they urgently require.

However, it is crucial to recognise that broader challenges persist, impacting not just specific demographics but the entire community.

Firstly, we need more houses. There currently isn’t enough short-term housing to help people who find themselves with nowhere to go and, with rents skyrocketing, many more people will need access to these services soon, putting further strain on the system.

Secondly, we need to target people’s needs before they find themselves homeless. It is far easier, and cheaper, to help someone with the rent than to have to find them a whole new home. That means taking a co-ordinated approach, having a community-wide response that is strategic and responsive.

Lastly, and most importantly, we need to solve the financial issues that are causing people to be living on the streets.

This disastrous Conservative government has crashed the economy and made us all poorer in the process. We need to remove them from office and start fixing the mess that this country is in at the moment.

SCOTT EMERY
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Hampstead & Highgate