During her tenure as Home Secretary, Suella Braverman suggested that rough sleeping was a ‘lifestyle choice’, as a result cities saw police officers dispersing homeless people by throwing out their tents. Police have new powers to prosecute rough sleepers or anyone who appears to be homeless if they say they’re “likely to cause” a “nuisance”. The definition of “nuisance” under the new Criminal Justice Bill includes ‘excessive smells’ and using ‘insulting’ words. If that isn’t challenging enough for those without a home and forced onto the streets, councils are designing public spaces with hostile architecture to move you on - a steel and concrete reminder that you are unwelcome. Only last month it was announced that an official count of the deaths of homeless people would no longer be published in England and Wales. Our government, it seems, is intent on hiding the problem of homelessness rather than address it.

The UK charity Shelter UK is tackling the problem on the front line. It believes everyone should have a home. It helps those most in need and each week 20,000 people approach Shelter for advice and support, including through an emergency helpline.

Shelter estimate that every four minutes a household in England is made homeless. Individuals, couples, families, children – all this is preventable and with your help, we can stand up to the housing injustice that thousands of people face every day.