Mayor vows to end requirement for Londoners to be seen sleeping rough before accessing support

We welcome the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s commitment to ending the requirement for people to be visibly rough sleeping before they can access essential support.

At the Stef & Philips Foundation, we know that homelessness is not always visible, and that visibility should never be a condition for compassion. Many of the individuals and families we support are experiencing hidden homelessness – living in overcrowded spaces, temporary accommodation, or sofa-surfing without a stable place to call home. Their struggles are real, even if they are not immediately seen.

Removing this barrier is a vital step toward ensuring that support reaches people when they need it – not just when their situation becomes impossible to ignore.

We stand with all organisations and partners working to make access to housing and support more humane, inclusive and effective.