Homelessness

Homelessness No Longer a Crime in UK as Vagrancy Act Repealed

Is this a long-overdue step toward justice or does it ignore record rough sleeping numbers?

2 days ago·Updated 1 day ago

Homelessness No Longer a Crime in UK as Vagrancy Act Repealed

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Above: A homeless person sleeping rough, Liverpool, U.K., on May 30, 2024. Image credit: Mike Kemp/In Pictures/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Scrapping the Vagrancy Act is a long-overdue correction to a law that punished people for being poor, not criminal activity. For over 200 years it pushed vulnerable people away from support services and saddled them with criminal records that made rebuilding their lives even harder. Backed by billions in housing investment and a National Plan to End Homelessness, this repeal marks a genuine shift from punishment to prevention.

Inside Housing GOV.UK Independent

Government-critical narrative

Repealing the Vagrancy Act sounds compassionate, but rough sleeping hit a record high with 7,541 people sleeping rough in England in March 2026 alone — meaning the crisis is getting worse, not better. Removing enforcement tools without solving the underlying housing shortage is symbolic politics, not real reform. Good intentions don't put roofs over heads when the numbers keep climbing.

My London GB News