Figures reveal number of homeless people taken to court in Thames Valley
Some people are saying it is 'cruel' to charge homeless people for having nowhere to live
Last updated 6th Sep 2021
Hundreds of homeless people have been charged in court in the Thames Valley area over the last 6 years for incidents such as begging.
It has been revealed that between April 2015 and December last year, Thames Valley Police made 354 charges which resulted in court hearings.
Most of the charges made were to do with incidents such as begging or rough sleeping.
A lot of people are now saying that the law created in the 1800s which they are breaching is now outdated and should be scrapped.
The Vagrancy Act 1824
The Vagrancy Act makes it an offence to sleep rough or beg, but people are now arguing that this is causing problems for those who do not have any other choice.
The argument is that no one should be criminalised for having nowhere to live. A charity called Crisis which offers year-round support to get people out of homelessness has said that the consequences in place are 'cruel', and it can actually keep people on the streets for longer as it puts them off reaching out for support.
Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes said:
“We all agree that the cruel, unnecessary Vagrancy Act should be scrapped but it’s still being used week in, week out with devastating consequences."
“Fining people who already have next to nothing is pointless and just drives people further away from support, often keeping them on the streets for longer.”
Changing attitudes
He also added that he was 'encouraged' by some of the progress being made, after the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told the House of Commons in February that the act should be "consigned to history".
Additionally, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “The Government is clear that no one should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live and the time has come to reconsider the Vagrancy Act.
“Work is ongoing to look at this complex issue and it is important that we look carefully at all options. We will update on our findings in due course.”