The Government is repealing the Vagrancy Act 1824 (Monday 29th June), ending over 200 years of criminalising rough sleeping and begging and marking a shift to a more modern, supportive approach to homelessness.
❓What is changing?
- Rough sleeping will no longer be a crime
- Repeal draws a clear line under legislation dating back to 1824, which criminalised people for sleeping rough or begging
🌟Why is the Act being repealed?
- The Act was introduced in a very different era following the Napoleonic Wars
- It has increasingly been criticised for penalising vulnerable people rather than addressing root causes
- Its use has declined, but it has still been used to move people on instead of helping them
🎯Tackling criminal activity
- The government will continue to take a robust approach to activity linked to organised crime.
- The Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates a new criminal offence of facilitating begging for gain, for example where individuals operate organised begging gangs or drive individuals to places for them to beg.
- It will also be a criminal offence to trespass with intent to commit a criminal offence.
🤝What wider support is being provided to tackle homelessness?
- £15 million Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme across 28 areas with the highest pressures. Focused on people who have spent the longest on the streets and face the greatest barriers
- £159 million supported housing funding, helping over 2,500 people move into stable accommodation, supporting prevention of homelessness before crisis point
- £37 million Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, backing voluntary, community and faith groups delivering frontline support.
- £950 million investment in temporary accommodation, improving quality and reducing reliance on poor-quality B&Bs.
✅How does this fit into wider government action?
- Part of the National Plan to End Homelessness, backed by £3.6 billion over three years
- Key targets include:
- Halving long-term rough sleeping
- Ending unlawful use of B&Bs for families
- Preventing discharge from institutions onto the street
- Wider reforms include:
- Ending Section 21 “no fault” evictions
- £39 billion investment in social and affordable housing over ten years
- New protections for domestic abuse victims through the Social Housing Bill
The announcement follows a week of record temperatures, and the public are being reminded of the Streetlink alert system to notify their local authority of anyone who is rough sleeping and in need of support.
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