First is a vital link to solving the problem

including London and Manchester. Ms Brown said: “At 2% a year it’s going to take until 2052 to deal with rough sleeping and that’s not good enough.”

Shadow Housing Minister Melanie Onn said: “In five years’ time we will be back to where we were in 2009.”

The Housing First approach, which has been successful in Scotland, is being piloted in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, and the Liverpool area to help 1,000 rough sleepers and those at risk of ending up on the streets.

As well as secure housing, the system victim-blaming culture, with the homeless seen as architects of their own downfall.

Those attitudes are starting to shift. People are recognising that there isn’t affordable housing, that people are living in overcrowded conditions, they do not involves support to help rough sleepers recover from any mental health or substance misuse issues, and to sustain their tenancies. Mr Quince said: “We know this works because we’ve seen it work around the world in particular in Scandinavia where they’ve seen an eradication of rough sleeping entirely.”

Mr Coyle highlighted the case of a woman in his Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency in South London who

GOING BACK Melanie Onn get mental health support, and that they are living pay cheque to pay cheque.

Securing housing is another challenge, but it is not insurmountable.

Building relationships with private landlords is vital. They worry properties will be wrecked. But with guaranteed rents and the 24-hour support a person on Housing First receives means support staff are proactive in ensuring properties are looked after. Choice is a core aspect of Housing First. People should get a choice in where they live and their furnishings – because it makes them feel at home.

And Housing First costs the same or less for someone in the hostel system.

If you give people the chance to be the best they can, they will do it.

That is not just good for the person, it is good for society as well.