Rights for rough sleepers guide launched
Liberty and Housing Justice are among the charities that have become so alarmed about the ways in which the human rights of rough sleepers are increasingly being threatened by the authorities that they have produced The Rights Guide for Rough Sleepers.
To be launched today (7 December), the Guide will clearly set out the rights of homeless people so that they themselves know what their legal position is.
In the run-up to the London Olympics in 2012 (which is also London Mayor Boris Johnson’s deadline for ending rough sleeping in London), the number and the severity of enforcement measures against rough sleepers has been growing. Rough sleepers may be woken up and moved along – or even stopped and searched – several times a night, and certain areas are out-of-bounds for two or more rough sleepers, to name but a few.
The guide explains the law regarding issues such as stop-and-search, arrest, dispersal zones and urinating in public places. It has been drawn up in collaboration with people who use the Salvation Army Drop-in Centre and Women at the Well, who reported the most common and most distressing problems they experienced.
Other charities involved include The Pavement and Z2K.
Sally Leigh, of Housing Justice, says: "Housing Justice believes it is crucial to let homeless people know their rights. We hope this guide will help protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society from further trouble with the law and yet more personal misery."
