Policy responses to ‘rough sleepers’: Opportunities and barriers for homeless adults in England

In the winter of 2018, high profile debates about ‘rough sleepers’ intensified following reports about men who died in freezing conditions. Government since pledged to cut the number of rough sleepers by half by 2022 and eliminate it by 2027. This commentary reviews two pieces of legislation which could support this target: the Care Act 2014 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2018. It argues that policies offer opportunities to improve outcomes for rough sleepers, given historic failings to provide for this social group. However, financial and institutional barriers remain