The council will debate whether to protect 13 rights for rough sleepers tomorrow following a 2,000-signature petition

This article by Liam Geraghty was published in The Big Issue on July 24th, 2019.

Brighton could set a new precedent for UK cities when councillors debate whether to adopt a homeless bill of rights tomorrow.

The city council will be asked if they will sign up to enshrine 13 rights for homeless people at tomorrow’s full council meeting, covering access to decent emergency accommodation, the right to use public spaces, the right to vote, to privacy and to equal treatment among others.

The campaign to protect homeless people’s rights aims to place human rights above a housing situation and protect society’s most vulnerable from discrimination.

The push has been spearheaded by Brighton and Hove Housing Coalition, who launched their campaign in October and secured 2,500 signatures on a petition to make the local authority take note.

If they do greenlight the adoption of the bill of rights tomorrow, the council will be first in the UK to do so, following in the footsteps of six other cities in Europe, including Barcelona.

(Read the rest of this article at its original source HERE.)