Just one person without a roof over their head is one too many, and it is vitally important that the most vulnerable people in society, including homeless people and rough sleepers, are helped to get their lives back on track. That is why I am pleased over £1.2 billion has been allocated to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping through to 2020.
 
The Government has a strong record of preventing and relieving homelessness. Across England, since 2010, there have been over 1. 6 million cases of homelessness prevention and relief.
While this is welcome progress, there is much more to be done, which is why I am glad that over £1.2 billion has been allocated through to 2020 towards tackling homelessness and rough sleeping,
 
The launch of a new £100 million Rough Sleeping Strategy will provide rapid support to up to 6,000 vulnerable people either new to the streets or at risk of becoming rough sleepers. This will complement the £28 million Housing First pilots which are supporting the most entrenched rough sleepers off the streets by providing them with stable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support.
 
The Homelessness Reduction Act, the most ambitious legislative reform for tackling homelessness in decades, has recently come into force. This Act, praised by both Shelter and Crisis, requires councils to provide early support to people at risk of homelessness.
 
I hope that these measures will reduce homelessness and help to achieve the aim of halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it altogether by 2027.