Government scraps 200-year-old law to focus on addressing root causes of homelessness
Rough sleeping and begging will no longer be a criminal offence after today (29 June) following the government’s repeal of the Vagrancy Act.
Alison McGovern, homelessness minister, said the move is a “long-overdue step that reflects a modern understanding of homelessness.”
The legislation was introduced in 1824 in response to rising homelessness following the industrial revolution and soldiers returning to the UK from the Napoleonic wars.
Repealing the Vagrancy Act was first announced by the Conservative administration in 2022. However, plans to replace the law with the Criminal Justice Bill, which would criminalise “nuisance rough sleeping and begging”, were proposed in 2024.
The current government said decriminalising rough sleeping will help address the root causes and “shift the focus towards prevention, support and long-term solutions.”
Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said: “We hope this sends a powerful message about the kind of society we want: one where people experiencing homelessness are not persecuted but supported to rebuild their lives and fulfil their potential.”
The step is part of the government’s £3.6bn national plan to end homelessness over the next three years, which aims to halve long-term rough sleeping and end the unlawful use of B&Bs for families by the end of parliament.
Arrests and prosecutions under the act have been falling steadily in recent years. According to Ministry of Justice data, there were 2,760 prosecutions in 2010 but just 384 in 2023.
The government said it will update and use the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to tackle ASB, organised begging gangs and trespass linked to criminal activity as organised begging and trespass were originally covered by the Vagrancy Act.
The upcoming Social Housing Bill also aims to prevent homelessness through stronger protections for domestic abuse victims. According to research from the Rough Sleeping Questionnaire 2025, 70% of women sleeping rough in the past year had experienced domestic abuse since age 16.
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