Criminalising Squatting Will Hit Homeless, Charities Warn

Leading charities are warning that proposals to make squatting a criminal offence risk dragging some of the country's most vulnerable people through the justice system. A letter from the charity Crisis and endorsed by the Big Issue Foundation challenges the media image that squatting is largely a lifestyle choice popular with middle class dropouts. It points out that almost 40% of homeless people resort to squatting at some point, and that of these more than half have been to prison, 20% are alcohol-dependent and more than a third have mental health problems. The letter, which is backed by other organisations working with homeless people and ex-offenders, will be sent to the government. The proposal to criminalise squatting in England and Wales – as is already the case in Scotland – was announced by David Cameron last week as part of his wider toughening of criminal justice measures. Read more on the Guardian website.