The UK's Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, is putting forth new legislation aimed at curtailing the use of tents by homeless individuals, asserting that many view homelessness as a

"lifestyle choice."

Braverman's proposal includes the introduction of fresh penalties in England and Wales for homeless people perceived by authorities as having declined offers of assistance. Her goal is to curb "those who create disturbances by setting up tents in public areas," she stated.

Leading housing charity Shelter responded, stating, "No one should be penalized for being homeless."

This proposal is expected to be outlined in the King's speech on Tuesday, an address that lays out the government's legislative priorities and is anticipated to focus on law and order.

In a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ms. Braverman wrote: "No one in Britain should be living in a tent on our streets. There are options for people who don't wish to sleep rough."

While she emphasized that the government remains committed to assisting genuinely homeless individuals, she also stated, "We cannot allow our streets to be overtaken by rows of tents occupied by individuals, many of whom are from abroad, choosing street life as a lifestyle."

She further added, "What I aim to prevent, and what the law-abiding majority wants us to prevent, is the disruption and distress caused by individuals erecting tents in public spaces, aggressively panhandling, committing theft, using drugs, discarding litter, and blighting our communities."

Without intervention, she cautioned that "British cities may follow the path of places in the United States like San Francisco and Los Angeles, where lenient policies have led to a surge in crime, drug use, and squalor."

According to the Financial Times, these proposals are intended to replace certain provisions of the 1824 Vagrancy Act. Sources have suggested that the plans being considered entail introducing two clauses into the new criminal justice bill, applicable to England and Wales, targeting tents that create disruptions, such as obstructing shop entrances.

The proposed changes also include establishing a civil offense whereby charities could be fined if they are found to have distributed tents that led to disturbances.

Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, emphasized, "Living on the streets is not a lifestyle choice." She pointed out that homelessness is the result of housing policy failures and affordability issues, with soaring private rents, escalating evictions, and a persistent cost-of-living crisis.

Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, urged the government to address the housing crisis rather than blaming homeless individuals. She cited rising rents and the failure to eliminate no-fault evictions as contributing factors affecting vulnerable people.

Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesman, criticized the proposal, calling it "grim politics" to "criminalize homeless charities for simply trying to keep vulnerable people warm and dry in winter." He argued that this policy would not effectively reduce rough sleeping and would expose vulnerable individuals to harsh weather conditions without shelter.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his disappointment with the proposal, advocating for more investment in social housing, increased housing benefit rates, and a ban on no-fault evictions. Photo by Simon Dawson / 10 Downing Street, Wikimedia commons.