Northampton homeless charity welcome decriminalisation of rough sleeping
The Northampton Hope Centre have been reacting as Government have announced they're to scrap a 200 year old law making rough sleeping illegal.
Last updated 11th Jun 2025
A homeless charity in Northampton say they welcome the decriminalisation of rough sleeping laws
The Government made the announcement today saying scrapping the 200 year old laws will help tackle the root causes of homelessness.
Homeless charities across the country have hailed it a "landmark moment".
Joanne Pritchard, Head of Service Delivery at the Northampton Hope Centre, says homelessness is a social not criminal issue:
"It's a law that for nearly two centuries as punished some of the most vulnerable members of our society simply for being homeless.
"For far too long, rough sleeping has been treated as a criminal issue rather than complex social and public health crisis, it is."
The Vagrancy Act, introduced in 1824 for punishment of "idle and disorderly persons, and rogues and vagabonds, in England", is to be repealed by spring next year, the Government has confirmed.
The law was brought in to deal with rising homelessness after the Napoleonic Wars and the Industrial Revolution and modern-day homeless charities have long called for it to be scrapped.
Joanne says it's a welcome move:
"I think we know that no one ends up on the streets by choice. You know, people experiencing rough sleeping often there because they've faced multiple forms of hardship, including trauma, job losses, mental ill health, domestic abuse, addiction."
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, said Labour is "drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society".
Joanne says she hopes these may lead to help in rooting out the often traumatic causes of homelessness:
"Criminalising their situation kind of only compounds that compounds actual more and drives people further away from help stability and recovery. So I think it's a positive move forward to really address the root causes."
Campaigners said criminalising the most vulnerable has never been the answer and instead homelessness needs to be properly addressed through support for people who end up sleeping rough.