rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/form/co-sign-our-letter-to-housing-minister-robert-jenrick-mp?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-form-area-co-sign-our-letter-to-housing-minister-robert-jenrick-mp' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Citizens UK https://actionnetwork.org/groups/citizens-uk https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/forms/photos/000/418/848/normal/77438b22-c056-4172-a69a-283789bcd310.jpg The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government House of Commons London SW1A 0AA 12th June 2020 Dear Mr Jenrick, We applaud the UK Government’s decision as part of the coronavirus national response to offer emergency temporary accommodation to those who are street homeless, including those with no recourse to public funds. Many people who would have been on the streets will have benefitted massively as a result of this intervention, and we are also hearing positive stories from homeless people and hotels which hosted them. We are encouraged by the objective stated by Dame Louise Casey on 26 May of addressing the cooperation of local authorities, faith groups and charities ‘to build on the success of everyone in and try to make sure they don’t go back on the street’. You reinforced this aim in your address published on 31 May by adding to the statement regarding the £3.8 billion given to councils that ‘Some people will need help to return to the private rental sector but others will need accommodation to be provided as it is a housing issue’. However, we are dismayed that extended housing support will only be available to those who qualify for welfare benefits. In some areas this will result a large number of people, up to 50% of those currently housed, returning to the streets at a time when the majority of charitable and statutory homelessness provisions services such as day centres and night shelters remain closed. This is a national catastrophe in the making, which we feel could inadvertently undo all the good work the government has done on this important issue.. Citizens UK is a broad-based community organising network that draws together schools, universities, hospitals, mosques, churches, synagogues, charities and other community groups to work for justice, with over 250,000 people in the membership. We are working on a number of fronts when it comes to issues of housing and homelessness but are writing today to share our concern about the imminent We are profoundly concerned about the imminent crisis facing those with no recourse to public funds or with insecure immigration status. Many of our members are directly involved in supporting homeless people experiencing homelessness, and we have a national team of leaders who our currently working togetherare directly involved in shaping local post-lockdown strategies. We are also campaigning for affordable and community-led housing that would ensure that all people have a safe and affordable place they can call home. . Examples of initiatives led by some of our members are [put a bullet point list of some of the initiatives from the call last week to demonstrate breath and impact] possibly say a bit more here about how?], and we are profoundly concerned about the imminent crisis facing those with no recourse to public funds or with insecure immigration status. We would like to request a n urgent meeting with you by DATEend ofn June, to discuss how we can work together to develop better solutions and prevent the return to the street of many thousands of people whom the government are succeeding in supporting right now. In particular, we want to focus on the immediate extension of housing support for all people [currently housed under the emergency scheme], regardless of their immigration status and prevent the return to the street of many thousands of people whom the government are succeeding in supporting right now. [or qualification for public funds]. We look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Amanda Dubarry, CEO Caritas Anchor House Citizens UK National Action Team members Cpt John Clifton, Ilford Salvation Army Fr Dominic Robinson, Chair of the Justice and Peace Commission, Archdiocese of Westminster Rev Angus Ritchie, Centre for Theology and Community, Shadwell Rev Richard Springer, St George’s in the East church, Shadwell Bernadette Harris, St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Woodford Green Shermara Fletcher, Open Table, Tower Hamlets Andy Pakula, New Unity, Hackney Fr Simon Woodman, Bloomsbury Baptist Church, Westminster Daniel Holland, Salvation Army, Assistant Regional Manager for Homelessness Services (London Region) Fr Gerard Mitchell, St Anselm’s RC Parish, Southall John Murphy, Hope for Southall Street Homeless Salma Ravat, One Roof Leicester, Leicester Paul Samuels, St Peter’s and Paul’s RC Parish, Ilford Harry McKeown, YMCA St Paul’s Group, Merton Denis Tully, CEO Emmanuel House, Nottingham Martin Wall, West Somerset Quakers Nora Ponton, Latin American Citizens Rebecca Stockman, YMCA, Merton Fr Martin Poole, St Luke’s Church, Brighton Luljeta Nuzi, Shpresa Programme, Newham Fiona Carrick-Davies, Surrey Square Primary School, Southwark Averil Watan, St Barnabas Church, Walthamstow https://actionnetwork.org/forms/co-sign-our-letter-to-housing-minister-robert-jenrick-mp