Notice has been served.
... search headlines "homelessness minister steps down amid claim evicted four tenants"
Ali Resigns as Homelessness Minister
Rushanara Ali, the Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Stepney, resigned as Homelessness Minister on Thursday, 7 August 2025, stating that remaining in the role would be "a distraction from the ambitious work of the government" Her resignation followed reports that she had ended a fixed-term tenancy on a property she owns in east London, initially to sell it, but then re-listed the house for rent at a significantly higher price after no buyer was found The property was reportedly re-listed for £700 more per month, increasing from £3,300 to £4,000
Ali maintained that she had "at all times" followed all relevant legal requirements as a landlord and took her responsibilities seriously However, the situation drew accusations of hypocrisy, particularly because her department is advancing the Renters’ Rights Bill, which aims to ban landlords from evicting tenants to sell a property and then re-listing it for rent within six months—a practice she was accused of engaging in Housing charities and opposition politicians criticized her actions, with Shelter calling it "beyond belief" and the Liberal Democrats stating she had "fundamentally misunderstood" her role, which was to tackle homelessness, not exacerbate it
Prime Minister Keir Starmer accepted her resignation and thanked her for her "diligent work," particularly her efforts to repeal the Vagrancy Act, and expressed confidence she would continue to support the government from the backbenches Despite some defense from allies like Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who noted Ali had acted within the law, the political pressure led to her decision to step down
... background summary of vagrancy act;
The Vagrancy Act 1824 was originally enacted in England and Wales to address concerns about people wandering the country seeking work, including soldiers returning from the Napoleonic wars, and consolidated earlier vagrancy laws into a single statute It criminalized rough sleeping and begging, granting police the power to fine or imprison individuals found sleeping rough or begging, with penalties of up to £1,000 Over its more than 200-year history, the Act was widely criticized for punishing people for poverty and homelessness rather than addressing root causes, effectively treating homeless individuals as criminals and second-class citizens Although its use declined after 2014, it remained in force and was applied inconsistently across police forces, with both formal prosecutions and informal enforcement pushing people away from support services
Efforts to repeal the Act gained momentum through sustained campaigning by charities such as Crisis, Shelter Cymru, and NACCOM, alongside legal experts, police, and politicians across party lines Parliament voted for repeal in 2022 as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, but implementation was delayed pending replacement legislation The previous government's proposed Criminal Justice Bill, intended to provide replacement powers, was dropped in 2024
On June 10, 2025, the UK government announced it would fully repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 in England and Wales via the Crime and Policing Bill, with repeal scheduled for spring 2026 This decision was hailed as a landmark moment by homelessness organisations, ending a 200-year legacy of criminalizing homelessness The government stated the repeal reflects modern attitudes and a shift toward addressing the root causes of rough sleeping rather than punishment Replacement measures are expected to be narrow and targeted, avoiding broad criminalization
While the repeal is widely welcomed, concerns remain—particularly from organisations like NACCOM—about how replacement powers might affect migrant and refugee communities, especially those with no recourse to public funds or insecure immigration status, who are already disproportionately vulnerable to homelessness Charities are urging the government to develop a comprehensive, cross-departmental homelessness strategy that includes support for marginalized groups
... fact check was this act re-defined in the 1950s as a control on street prostitution specifically;
No, the Vagrancy Act 1824 was not specifically re-defined in the 1950s as a control on street prostitution.
While the Act has been used historically to address a range of public order issues—including loitering and soliciting—it was not substantially amended in the 1950s with the primary aim of targeting street prostitution.
The main legislative developments related to prostitution during the 1950s and 1960s in the UK came later, most notably with the “Street Offences Act 1959”, which specifically criminalized loitering or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution in public places. This Act was introduced to address concerns about street prostitution more directly and effectively than the older, broader provisions of the Vagrancy Act.
The Vagrancy Act 1824 did contain provisions that could be applied to behaviors associated with prostitution—such as sections targeting "common prostitutes" found in public places—but these were part of the original 19th-century framework and were not the result of 1950s refinements. In fact, the reference to "common prostitutes" was repealed by the Criminal Law Act (1977), which removed gender-specific and outdated language from the Act.
In summary:
- The “Vagrancy Act 1824” was not refined in the 1950s to target street prostitution.
- The “Street Offences Act 1959” was the key legislation introduced to specifically address street prostitution.
- The 1824 Act was used broadly for public order, including against soliciting, but its use for this purpose predated and continued alongside later, more targeted laws.
Sources: UK Parliament, Home Office, and historical legal records.
... thanks for the clarification the 1824 act is an arcane but common sense statute and isn't going away anytime soon but where homelessness is concerned a distinction should be made between sex crimes and homelessness;
You're welcome — and you're absolutely right.
The “Vagrancy Act 1824” is indeed an archaic piece of legislation, rooted in a very different social and economic context. While some of its provisions were used over time to address a range of public order concerns — including loitering, begging, and even solicitation — it's important, as you point out, to make a clear distinction between “offences related to public safety or criminal behaviour” (such as sex work in public spaces, which was later addressed more specifically by laws like the Street Offences Act, 1959) and the “basic human condition of being without a home”.
Using a 200-year-old law to criminalize homelessness — by penalizing people simply for sleeping rough or being visibly poor in public — has long been seen as unjust and counterproductive. That’s why the “repeal of the Vagrancy Act”, now scheduled for 2026, is widely supported by charities, legal experts, and public health advocates. The goal is to shift from punishment to “prevention, support, and housing-led solutions”.
As you noted, “homelessness should not be conflated with criminality”. People experiencing homelessness are not a threat by default — they are often among the most vulnerable, facing complex challenges like mental health issues, addiction, poverty, or fleeing abuse. The focus should be on providing shelter, healthcare, and pathways to stability — not enforcement.
The repeal of the Act marks a significant step toward a more humane and modern approach — one that recognizes the dignity of every individual, regardless of housing status. And as policy evolves, maintaining that distinction — between “public order concerns” and “the right to shelter” — will be essential for building a fairer society.
Thanks for raising such a thoughtful point.
... is it true the vagrancy act legalized oppression of the gypsies the Romy of Europe;
The Vagrancy Act 1824 was enacted in response to rising homelessness in England and Wales following the Napoleonic Wars and the Industrial Revolution, targeting individuals deemed “idle and disorderly” or “rogues and vagabonds” who wandered without visible means of subsistence or engaged in begging While the Act broadly criminalized homelessness and rough sleeping, its provisions were used to target various marginalized groups, including Romany Gypsies and other travelling communities, under vague definitions such as those “wandering abroad” without a good account of themselves
Historically, laws against vagrancy in Britain, including the 1824 Act, were used to suppress nomadic lifestyles, effectively institutionalizing discrimination against Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities These laws conflated itinerant ways of life with criminality, contributing to systemic antigypsyism—a specific form of racism rooted in prejudice and stereotypes against Roma and Travellers that persists today across Europe The Act enabled authorities to arrest individuals simply for their presence in public spaces without requiring evidence of criminal intent, disproportionately impacting nomadic populations
Although the Vagrancy Act 1824 did not explicitly name Romany or Traveller groups, its broad and discriminatory application reinforced social exclusion and legal persecution of these communities Modern recognition of Romany Gypsies, Scottish Gypsy/Travellers, and Irish Travellers as distinct ethnic groups protected under the Equality Act 2010 reflects an acknowledgment of their long history of racial discrimination in the UK However, other Traveller groups, such as New Age Travellers, lack similar legal protections, leaving them vulnerable to ongoing marginalization
Antigypsyism, recognized by the Council of Europe as a deep-seated form of racism, continues to manifest in policies that criminalize nomadism and deny access to culturally appropriate housing and stopping sites Recent legislative efforts, such as provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, have raised concerns for potentially further criminalizing Traveller communities by restricting where they can stop
In June 2025, UK Housing Secretary Angela Rayner announced plans to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 within a year, marking a significant shift toward decriminalizing homelessness and addressing the legacy of discriminatory laws This move follows decades of criticism that the Act unjustly punished poverty and entrenched systemic bias against already marginalized populations, including GRT communities
... in the United States in particular California the cutting edge approach to homeless remediation is preventing unlawful and unethical and frankly inhumane evictions;
Several new tenant protection laws took effect in California on January 1, 2025, as part of a bipartisan housing package signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2024 These laws strengthen renters' rights through multiple measures, including updates to security deposit regulations, allowable rental fees, tenant screening practices, and protections for survivors of domestic violence
Assembly Bill 2801 amends security deposit rules by clarifying that landlords can only use deposits for repairs and cleaning necessary to return the property to its original condition, with restrictions on using funds for materials and labor Landlords must now conduct an initial inspection before tenancy ends and allow tenants to be present; they cannot charge for damages not listed during this inspection if the tenant’s belongings blocked access Additionally, starting April 1, 2025, landlords must provide photos of the unit after the tenant vacates but before any repairs, along with receipts and cost explanations, or forfeit the right to claim against the deposit
Assembly Bill 2747 enables positive rental payment reporting to credit agencies for all residential tenants, helping them build credit Landlords must offer this to new tenants starting April 1, 2025, and to existing tenants by that date, charging no more than $10 or the actual cost of reporting
Senate Bill 611 limits fees landlords can charge, prohibiting charges for tenants delivering legal notices or paying deposits by check If a landlord collects more than one month’s rent as a security deposit, they must provide a written explanation and return the excess within six months if rent is not overdue
Assembly Bill 2493 clarifies tenant screening fee rules, allowing charges only when the landlord intends to rent the unit and requiring them to accept and review all applications Fees must reflect actual costs and cannot exceed $30 per applicant, adjusted for inflation
Despite these protections, efforts to expand eviction relief faced setbacks. Senate Bill 436, which would have granted tenants a 14-day grace period to pay overdue rent before eviction proceedings could begin, failed to advance in the Assembly Judiciary Committee in July 2025 The bill received six votes but needed seven to pass, with some Democratic members joining Republicans in opposition, citing concerns for small landlords reliant on rental income Supporters, including members of the Renters’ Caucus, argued the extension would allow time for financial assistance and prevent unnecessary evictions
Additionally, Senate Bill 567 aimed to close loopholes in the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) and strengthen enforcement against no-fault evictions, though its status beyond being on the Assembly floor is not confirmed Another proposed bill, the Homelessness Prevention Act, sought to enhance accountability and funding for homelessness reduction programs, emphasizing long-term housing stability and prohibiting eviction due to relapse in supportive-recovery residences
Penalties for violating tenant protection laws have also been strengthened in 2025, with willful violations now subject to treble damages, increasing the financial risk for non-compliant landlords These measures reflect California’s ongoing effort to balance tenant protections with housing availability, though political and financial pressures continue to challenge the expansion of eviction safeguards