Havant MP Alan Mak has joined a new group of MPs who backed a Bill to help tackle homelessness during a crucial vote in Parliament.
Mr Mak joined a group of MPs with an interest in tackling homelessness to back the Homelessness Reduction Bill at its Second Reading, helping to bring the proposed legislation one step closer to becoming law. Mak moved his usual constituency day from Friday to Thursday to ensure he was in the House of Commons Chamber along with a group of MPs from a range of parties.
Supported by homelessness charities including Crisis, the Bill could transform the help available to homeless people by forcing councils in England to offer greater support to rough sleepers. It would also help to prevent people from losing their home in the first place and make sure all homeless people can get help when they need it, whilst continuing to protect families with children from homelessness.
The Bill is a Private Members’ Bill (PMB) initiated by a backbencher, but it has now received the "full and unfettered" support of the Government, with Communities Secretary Sajid Javid saying he is “determined” to help those who lose their homes. Most PMBs never make it past Second Reading, but this Bill has done so due to the efforts and support of a dedicated group of MPs who attended Westminster on a Friday to give it support.
Mr Mak said: “Thankfully homelessness is low across Havant, but we should not be complacent on a national level. That’s why I made the effort to be in Parliament on a Friday to join a group of MPs who are pushing this proposed new law forward. Nobody should be forced to sleep rough because they can’t get the help they need.”
“Havant Borough Council do excellent work preventing homelessness working with housing associations," he added. "We need to make sure that anyone facing homelessness can get help, ideally before they actually lose their home and I will be fully supporting the Homelessness Reduction Bill as it moves through Parliament.”
The news was welcomed by Crisis Chief Executive Jon Sparkes, who hailed the vote on Friday, which was passed without a single vote against it, as a “landmark moment”.
He said: “We’d like to thank Mr Mak for backing this unique bill. We still have a long way to go before it becomes law, but we’ll be there every step of the way to help make sure it happens.
“We have the momentum and we have the cross party consensus, and today’s success shows what can be done when people come together to help tackle homelessness. Yet this is no time for complacency. We must continue to build on what we’ve achieved today, both to get the bill through parliament and to make it work for homeless people if and when it finally becomes law.”