11 September 2008
Commenting on the latest Government figures on the number of rough sleepers in the UK, Chief Executive of St Mungo's, Charles Fraser said:
"We welcome the news of a fall in the number of rough sleepers. However for the 483 that are known to remain on our streets we know that many will have entrenched health problems which require urgent and wide ranging help. We are also concerned that a proportion of those on the streets have been there for a long time. These are the ones with the poorest health, and we know that ill-health prolongs homelessness.
We have urged the government to establish a "right to shelter" so that no-one need sleep rough; and to ensure that determined action is taken so that nobody with a mental illness remains on the streets. Taken together, we believe that these measures could have a substantial impact."
For further information and interviews, please contact Lucy Whitford on 020 8762 5645 or email lucy.whitford@mungos.org
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