Salvation Army place TV advertising in first election debate

Homeless people risk being forgotten in election debates The Salvation Army has warned, and so the organisation has placed a hard-hitting advert during the ad break of the Leader’s first election debate on ITV.

The advert will remind all parties that hundreds of people will die on Britain’s streets this winter but also asks the public to help fund essential homeless outreach work.

Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant, the organisation’s Secretary for Communications, said: “We hope the debate focuses on the big issues that will steer the future of Britain and that must include a discussion about why rough sleeping as risen by 165 per cent in a decade.”

To save lives, The Salvation Army is calling on the next government to invest in specialist homelessness help support including supported housing and safety net services early intervention services to stop the steep and rapid spiral down into street sleeping.

It also wants more new affordable social housing built to help bring down the high cost of private rents.

And the church and charity wants to increase the Local Housing Allowance to ensure people on benefits and low incomes are able to afford at least three in every ten rented homes.