The removal of homelessness from the housing minister’s
portfolio has prompted concerns that the government is intending to ‘sideline’
the issue in the run-up to next year’s general election. Last week, the government announced that new
housing minister Brandon Lewis will not be responsible for tackling
homelessness. The brief instead remains with former housing minister - and now
more junior local government minister - Kris Hopkins, as a reflection of the
‘importance of the issue’, the CLG said. However, Howard Sinclair, chief
executive of St Mungo’s Broadway, said: ‘The risk is that [homelessness] is
sidelined at a time when housing is just beginning to get some influence and
notice nationally, and that housing issues are sidelined.’ Read more on Inside
Housing.
