‘Suella Braverman’s comments have caused untold upset and distress’

• THE home secretary has announced she thinks some people sleeping rough on the streets are doing so because they have chosen to as a “lifestyle choice”.

In her view a good way to curb the rapidly expanding problem of street homelessness would be to deprive these people of their most basic shelter by removing access to tents and holding those who provide them liable for prosecution.

Suella Braverman’s comments have caused untold upset, distress, and incredulity among the homeless community, those who help them and the vast majority of the general public.

A home secretary fit to hold the office and intent on providing reasonable solutions would have firstly prioritised engaging in considered discussions with the many charities and organisations who deal with this subject daily in order to enlighten themselves of all the facets in an issue full of complexities.

Instead Ms Braverman has chosen to make sweeping statements based on her entrenched ideology and obviously designed to appeal to her speedily shrinking fan base.

I’ve been volunteering with people experiencing homelessness for some years and on not one occasion have I ever met a single individual who would chose to exist in a tent on the cold, wet, streets of Camden or anywhere else.

A life of sleeping rough brings with it exposure to negative health outcomes, physical assault, and deterioration of mental health, to name just a few of the downsides. There are no upsides.

It is perverse in the extreme to promote the view that people would choose such a challenging lifestyle.

The truth is that it has been forced upon many by consecutive failures of government policy whether through carelessness or deliberate callousness.

I have met some of the most courageous, kind, and stoic people in my life through my work with Streets Kitchen in Camden Town. These people are my friends.

They are all somebody’s brother, sister, son or daughter. They could all be you or me. Homelessness shouldn’t have to happen to you for it to matter to you.

I firmly believe that we should treat our fellow human beings with respect and dignity in contrast to the hideous stance being taken by the home secretary.

Fortunately her actions and comments have inadvertently stiffened our resolve and emboldened us into taking even more action to help those who need it in any way that we possibly can.

PHIL COWAN, NW1