The bosses of homelessness charities in Oxfordshire have written to the Home Secretary after she suggested that living on the streets was a "lifestyle choice".

On November 4, Suella Braverman posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: "We cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice.”

The post has been interpreted by some as a bid to become leader of the Conservative Party, although it has prompted lots of criticism.

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That includes a letter sent by bosses of homelessness charities in the county.

The letter has been jointly published by Simon Hewett-Avison, chief executive of Homeless Oxfordshire, Paul Roberts, chief executive of Aspire Oxfordshire, and Chris Keating chief executive of Connection Support.

It states: "Homeless Oxfordshire, Aspire Oxfordshire, and Connection Support refute your recent comments regarding homelessness, are saddened by your ill-informed choice of language that perpetuates stigma and misunderstanding, and urge you to reconsider your proposal to criminalise the use of tents by people who are rough sleeping.

Oxford Mail: A rough sleeper in a doorway"We agree that compassion is the most important approach to homelessness and that nobody in Britain should have to live 'in a tent on our streets'.

"However, anyone who is experiencing homelessness, in any of its many forms, is 'genuinely homeless'. It is also misleading, and potentially damaging, to suggest that homelessness is ever a “lifestyle choice”.

"The people we support in Oxfordshire on a daily basis have experienced extreme trauma and disadvantage throughout their lives.

"They may face issues with addiction and challenges with their physical and mental health, and they can struggle to access the help they need.

"They often have no support network around them and may be vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. These lives were not chosen and should not be persecuted.

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"We urge you to consider strengthening policy and funding decisions that can help end homelessness by tackling its causes, rather than criminalising its outcome.

"The latter will lead to avoidable suffering and fatalities.

"Everyone has the right to a safe and suitable home and we call on the government to increase Local Housing Allowance rates in the upcoming Autumn Statement so that everyone can find a home they can afford.

Oxford Mail: Paul Roberts with staff at Aspire"We also invite you and your colleagues to speak with organisations like ours to achieve a better understanding of the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness and hear first-hand some of the sustainable and practical solutions."

Rough sleeper numbers in Oxford have risen slightly according to government figures in March.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities released figures which showed that 27 people were estimated to be homeless in Oxford based on a snapshot of a single night in autumn last year – up from 24 the year before.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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