World Homesless Day 2025

After 200 years, the Vagrancy Act is finally being repealed: what this means for people experiencing homelessness

On World Homelessness Day, we are reflecting on the repeal of the Vagrancy Act (1824), a 200 year old law that criminalised rough sleeping and begging in England and Wales. The UK Government confirmed its repeal earlier this year and this will happen by spring 2026. Scrapping this outdated legislation marks a historic shift in how society views and responds to homelessness, and it is a huge step forward that has been a long time in the making.

At Llamau, we are proud to have stood with Crisis and the Scrap the Act Coalition in campaigning for this repeal. Alongside organisations in housing, homelessness, policing, legal and human rights sectors, and MPs and MSs on all sides, we spent years calling for an end to the criminalisation of people simply for being homeless.

The Vagrancy Act was introduced in the 19th century, during a time of deep societal inequality and upheaval following the Napoleonic Wars and Industrial Revolution. It was designed to move people who were sleeping rough or begging out of public view, pushing those in poverty further into the shadows and away from the safety and support they so often desperately needed.

Even as its use declined in recent years, the Act remained on the statute books. For too long, it sent a damaging message: that poverty is a crime, and that people without a home belong in handcuffs rather than in housing.

The Vagrancy Act’s repeal is more than symbolic. This is a landmark moment that will change lives. It recognises that homelessness should never be treated as a crime, and that compassion and support, not punishment, are the solutions we must offer.

At Llamau, we can only imagine how damaging the criminalisation of being homeless has been. We work every day with people, many of them young and vulnerable, who have been failed by systems that punish rather than protect. The threat or experience of being criminalised for rough sleeping has discouraged people from seeking help, made it harder to access support, and entrenched the very cycles of homelessness we are all working to break.

The repeal of the Vagrancy Act has the potential to change this. But it is only a first step.

The root causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, the lasting impacts of trauma, domestic abuse and poverty, remain deeply embedded.

Llamau also welcomes the Welsh Government’s draft Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation Bill. This legislation represents a transformational step towards ending homelessness in Wales, with recognition of the importance of lived experience in shaping change. We strongly support the Bill’s emphasis on early intervention and prevention, which is a core priority for us. Homelessness is not inevitable. It is a crisis that can be prevented when the right support is in place, at the right time, for the right people. We will review the detail of the Bill as it progresses and provide further comment in due course.

We also welcome the clarity that the Vagrancy Act will not be replaced with any new legislation that criminalises rough sleeping. Instead, the government has proposed measures to address organised criminal activity, such as gang led begging operations and trespassing with intent to commit a crime. These measures aim to target exploitative behaviour, not individuals who are vulnerable because of their situation.

At Llamau, we remain deeply committed to preventing homelessness and supporting people to move forward in life. Whether that is through supported accommodation, education, mental health support or advocacy, we believe in creating systems that centre dignity, not judgement.

The repeal of the Vagrancy Act is proof that change is possible when we work together.

But it is not the end of the road.

On World Homelessness Day, we are reminded that homelessness is not inevitable. It is preventable. The repeal of the Vagrancy Act shows what can be achieved when we challenge outdated ideas and commit to compassion, not criminalisation. Now we must go further: investing in homes, services and opportunities that ensure no one has to face the trauma of homelessness in the first place.

At Llamau, we will keep pushing for the investment, services and policies that make our goal of a Wales without homelessness a reality, and we will keep standing with those who need support, not punishment.