Shelter slams the prospect of charity fines for handing out tents

Homeless charity Shelter has hit out at the prospect of charities being fined for dishing out tents to homeless people under government plans – which could be revealed in tomorrow’s King’s Speech, the Sunday Times reveals.

The paper quotes Shelter’s chief executive Polly Neate as saying: “Living on the streets is not a lifestyle choice.

“Homelessness happens when housing policy fails and boils down to people not being able to afford to live anywhere.

“Private rents are at an all-time high, evictions are rising, and the cost-of-living crisis continues.”

Responsibility for the housing crisis

Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner says the government must take responsibility for the housing crisis, rather than blaming homeless people.

She said: “A toxic mix of rising rents and a failure to end no-fault evictions are hitting vulnerable people, yet after years of delay the Tories still haven’t kept their promises to act.”

The Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesman, Alistair Carmichael, said it was ‘grim politics’ to ‘criminalise homeless charities for simply trying to keep vulnerable people warm and dry in winter’.

‘Many things that could be done’

On X (formerly Twitter), the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), Ben Beadle said: “Absolutely at one with @pollyn1 on this. There are many things that could be done to help homeless people. It was done during Covid. It is simply a political choice. It isn’t a lifestyle choice.

“To focus the issue on banning tents & fining charities who supply them is appalling.”

One of those who responded to Mr Beadle’s tweet was ‘Harrys Garage’ who said: “This loathsome creature created more homelessness than she could ever solve. She also takes £150k before one single homeless person is helped.”

‘It’s OK for Landlords to suffer’

Ms Neate also appeared on BBC News to explain her position which led Nottingham landlord Mick Roberts to tell Property118: “Shelter don’t like being fined for helping the homeless but say it’s OK for Landlords to suffer.

“Polly Neate on BBC News finds it abhorrent (my word) that the Government are planning to fine homeless charities for helping the most vulnerable in this country.”

He added: “Well, isn’t that what the Government and councils, and Shelter supporting them, have been doing to private landlords for the last seven years?

“Private landlords help the most vulnerable in this country and face the most extortionate fines; £30,000 civil penalties for a paperwork error, £12,000 Rent Repayment Order for landlords not licensing a very nice house, £350 for the tenant not turning up for an appointment.

“And you wonder why landlords are packing up and rents are increasing. Reward us, not punish us, because you are hurting tenants.”

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