The government has repealed the Vagrancy Act, ending legislation that allowed people to be prosecuted for rough sleeping and begging.
Today (29 June), the government formally abolished the Vagrancy Act, ending more than 200 years of legislation first introduced in 1824 to tackle rising homelessness in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars and the Industrial Revolution.
While prosecutions under the Act have plummeted in recent years, campaigners argue it’s continued to cast a long shadow over efforts to support people sleeping rough.
There were 79 prosecutions and 59 convictions under the legislation in 2023, compared with more than 1,300 prosecutions in 2018.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: ‘Homeless people are not criminals, they are people who need help. By repealing the outdated Vagrancy Act, we are shifting from punishment to prevention, alongside our investment to tackle homelessness for good.’
The repeal forms part of the government’s National Plan to End Homelessness, backed by £3.6bn over the next three years.
Homelessness minister Alison McGovern said the change marked ‘a long-overdue step that reflects a modern understanding of homelessness’.
‘We are turning our backs on a centuries old approach and instead focusing our attention on what works through providing support, preventing homelessness, and helping people rebuild their lives,’ she said.
Although the law has been scrapped, ministers said police and councils will retain powers to address anti-social behaviour that causes harassment or distress under existing legislation.
The government also claimed new offences in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will target organised begging gangs and those who exploit vulnerable people for financial gain, rather than people experiencing homelessness themselves.
Matt Downie, chief executive of crisis, described the repeal as ‘a watershed moment’.
‘For more than 200 years, the Vagrancy Act has punished people who have been forced to sleep on the streets,’ he said.
‘This has pushed people in already vulnerable situations away from support services and into the shadows for fear of being penalised. Now, after decades of charities campaigning alongside politicians, law enforcement and people with lived experience of homelessness, we can come together to celebrate the end of this archaic law. ’
The move comes as homelessness in London has reached record levels. New figures published last week show the number of people sleeping rough is up 63% since 2015–16, and has risen year on year since 2021–22.
Rick Henderson called the decision a ‘truly landmark moment that will change the lives of the many people at the risk of being criminalised simply for seeking somewhere safe to sleep’.
‘That this archaic law is finally being repealed is a credit to all those who have long campaigned for its removal, and to the leadership shown by this government in finally scrapping the Act,’ he continued.
‘Rough sleeping should never be a crime. It is a result of people being let down by the systems intended to support them.
‘We hope that the repeal of the Vagrancy Act shows the government’s ambition and intent to move away from a punitive, crisis led response towards one rooted in prevention, cross government responsibility and targeted support ensuring that everyone has a place to call home and the support they need to keep it.’
Image: Jean-Luc Benazet/UnSplash
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