London comes to the rescue of the homeless

In 2002 the Greater London Authority adopted a policy of helping the homeless with the Homelessness Act 2002. The law is aimed at people living in shelters, in temporary accommodation and in bed and breakfasts, but the law’s biggest success has been in stopping the expulsion of tenants, in helping people to find new accommodation, in preventing excessive indebtedness, and in helping vulnerable relatives. Twenty-five Contact and Assessment Teams have been set up in residential neighborhoods in and outside the city. In addition to visits to target areas, the teams work in close collaboration with shelters, the police, the social services, the health services, and the rental assistance agency ...