STORY
The Government has confirmed that the Vagrancy Act will be repealed on Monday, ending legislation that has criminalised rough sleeping and begging for nearly two centuries.
Ministers said the 1824 Act had punished people for not having a home and could push vulnerable people away from support. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said repeal would form part of a wider approach focused on prevention, housing supply and services for people sleeping rough.
The announcement follows renewed pressure from homelessness charities and campaigners, who have long argued that criminal sanctions are not an effective response to rough sleeping. The Government said it was also expanding housing support, with recent affordable housing starts and completions increasing under programmes delivered through Homes England and the Greater London Authority.