Rising concerns about a 'problematic street culture' associated with rough sleeping, especially begging and street drinking, have seen a major shift towards enforcement interventions aimed at the 'street users'. This report examines the impact of these interventions on the welfare of street users. A free pdf version is available at www.jrf.org.uk
Street homelessness has been a policy priority in England since the early 1990s, and there has been a substantial subsequent decline in levels of 'rough sleeping.' However, concerns have mounted in recent years about the problematic street culture sometimes associated with rough sleeping especially begging and street drinking and there has been a significant shift towards enforcement interventions aimed at the 'street users' involved in these activities. The enforcement and coercive measures taken against street users include Anti-Social Behavior Orders (ASBOs), injunctions, arrests for begging or rough sleeping under the UK's Vagrancy Act 1824, controlled drinking zones, dispersal orders, 'designing out, ' and 'alternative giving schemes.' This research report evaluates the impact of these enforcement interventions on the welfare of street users in England. (REPORT)
