13/07/2026
The Vagrancy Act has been repealed – what does this mean?
You may have seen recent news that the Vagrancy Act, a law dating back to 1824, has been repealed.
For over 200 years, the Act made it a criminal offence to sleep rough or beg in England and Wales. Many people felt this punished those experiencing homelessness rather than addressing the reasons they became homeless in the first place.
Some common misconceptions:
❌ “This means rough sleeping is now legal and anything goes.”
➡️ No. There are still laws that can be used where someone is committing offences such as theft, harassment, criminal damage or causing serious anti-social behaviour.
❌ “People choose to be homeless.”
➡️ Homelessness is often the result of complex issues including relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, poor mental health, addiction, unemployment, or a lack of affordable housing. Every person’s story is different.
❌ “Repealing the Act will increase homelessness.”
➡️ Repealing the Act doesn’t create homelessness. It removes an outdated law that criminalised people simply for having nowhere to sleep. The focus should be on providing support, housing and opportunities to help people move forward.
At The Bridge Project, we see first-hand that behind every person is a story. We believe everyone deserves dignity, compassion and the chance to rebuild their life.
If you’d like to learn more about homelessness or find out how you can support our work, please get in touch or speak to a member of our team.
For more information:
The government will repeal the Vagrancy Act on Monday 29 June 2026, ending nearly two centuries of legislation that has criminalised rough sleeping and begging.
