Party time - St Mungo's Opening doors for homeless people

Party time - St Mungo's at Labour and Conservative party conferences

This autumn saw the final Labour and Conservative party conferences before next year's General Election. St Mungo's was there at both, pressing for more consideration and investment in services for homeless people.

Together with Crisis, we hosted two fringe events at each conference. Speakers included MPs, St Mungo's directors and clients, and other key sector experts.

"The fringe events provided an excellent opportunity to get our key policy messages across to members of the two main political parties. Only with concerted action and support can we tackle the huge obstacles faced by homeless people in their journey towards recovery."

Jessica Studdert, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at St Mungo's

At both conferences we held fringes which addressed 'Worklessness and exclusion: A lost generation?' Helen Goodman MP, Minister for Work and Pensions spoke at the Labour Fringe and accepted the Government still needed to reform Housing Benefit with urgency. Lord David Freud, Shadow Minister for Welfare Reform, argued at the Conservative Fringe that helping groups that were hardest to help, such as the homeless, was at the forefront of Conservative thinking when trying to tackle welfare reform. These events provoked engaged, passionate debate on what was needed to ensure that homeless people are not left behind when it comes to supporting people back into work.

The second event at the Labour Conference was titled, 'Down and Out? Mental health and exclusion'. Phil Hope MP, Minister for Care Services, recognised the need to 'discover what right combination of services and support make the difference'. Attendees heard from a St Mungo's resident, Martyn Warr, who called on the Government to address the needs of rough sleepers in the Government's upcoming New Horizons strategy for mental health.

At the Conservative Conference, we asked 'Will the Conservatives be the party to end homelessness?', with the aim of drawing out how a potential Conservative Government would address the issue. St Mungo's client Sarah Clark spoke on the panel, alongside Shadow Housing Minster Grant Shapps - who expressed his hope for a 'Yes' to the title question and promised to work in a cross-departmental manner on the issue.

Jessica Studdert said:

"MPs from both parties listened to what our speakers had to say. With only months remaining before an election, the recession is looming large behind both parties' thinking. With tighter public spending limits promised by both parties, it is more important than ever that the most vulnerable members of our society are not forgotten in the battle for resources. Time will tell how serious they are about tackling the key issues faced by homeless people, and ending rough sleeping by 2012. St Mungo's will continue to lobby whoever is in Government to ensure that homeless men and women's needs are met through appropriate housing, health and work support."