Crisis - a charity for single homeless people
Last updated 4/22/2008 3:12:46 PM
Something quite extraordinary happened this April.
At the mayoral debate on housing and homelessness, the three main parties' candidates for London Mayor all signed up to an ambitious target to end rough sleeping in the capital by the end of the mayoral term in 2012.
They were speaking at a mayoral debate on housing and homelessness held jointly by Crisis, the National Housing Federation, Shelter and St Mungo's and responding to a plea from audience member and former rough sleeper Jamie McCoy.
In an evening of some disagreement elsewhere on housing issues, the three candidates were in unison on the 2012 target. It is not the first time that we have seen targets on rough sleeping.
Ten years ago the New Labour Government announced that it aimed to reduce the numbers of rough sleepers across the country by two thirds and then get as close to zero as possible.