True plight of squatters exposed by research

Squatters have been revealed as some of the most vulnerable of all homeless people by research published as the Government consultation into criminalisation of squatting comes to an end.

The research reveals that squatters are more likely than other homeless people to suffer from a range of disadvantages, from mental and physical ill health to learning disabilities to drug and alcohol dependency.

Squatting: a homelessness issue was undertaken by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University on behalf of homelessness charity Crisis. The report draws on analysis from a range of previous research into homelessness and squatting.

The research concludes that criminalising squatters will criminalise a very vulnerable group of people and that far from being a criminal justice issue, squatting should be treated as a welfare and housing issue.

The research comes after a campaign from Crisis against criminalisation of squatting, and a letter, backed by Crisis, that has provoked a strong exchange of views between the government and housing legal experts. Crisis has also produced the Daily Rant to highlight misconceptions around squatting.

Taken from http://www.crisis.org.uk/news.php/302/true-plight-of-squatters-exposed-by-research