Homelessness is a very complex issue, when one takes into account sofa surfing, inadequately and temporarily housed people as well as the very visible rough sleepers who may spend time on our pavements but may also retreat to squats or hidden locations when the streets go quiet. Anyone who has spent time with homeless people knows that there is not one single reason or cause for each of the people who ends up in poor housing or on the streets. This means that asking for a simple explanation regarding homelessness is naïve and almost pointless. However the Minister responsible for Homelessness, just like her colleagues in other departments, must know that they are expected to be able to provide relatively simple answers to questions even if the full answer is very complex. In case the Minister for Homelessness needs to hear how to provide such responses, she should simply book some time to spend with people who work for Homelessness charities such as Andy Winter who is the CEO of Brighton Housing Trust. It would probably take a couple of hours to fully understand what Andy and BHT have to deal with but by the end of that time anyone would be have gained an enormous amount of information and understanding. Indeed most people would leave the BHT premises inspired to change society if only they had the power to do so. The irony is that a Government Minister does have the power to change aspects of our society.

Heather Wheeler is the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Housing and Homelessness). She was appointed to that role on 9 January 2018 and previously was a Junior Lord of the Treasury (Government Whip) from 15 June 2017 and an Assistant Government Whip from 17 July 2016. She was first elected Conservative MP for South Derbyshire in May 2010. Prior to her election she served as a District Councillor from 1995 in South Derbyshire. As someone who has been a Councillor and MP for 23 years it is hard to believe that the issues of homelessness have not crossed her desk on many occasions in that time. The YMCA in Derbyshire accommodates 151 young people every night of the year and whilst this is focused on the town of Derby, these challenges are less than 20 miles away from her old offices. It seems almost certain that some of the 151 young people have come from South Derbyshire. Alternatively Heather could spend some time with the Derbyshire Outreach Team (DOT). To be unaware or disinterested in why homelessness does occur and to be unaware of its increase since her party won the election that also gave her a seat in Parliament is very concerning. As this article makes clear ‘Wheeler was asked about the reasons for the rise in rough sleeping, which has increased in England for seven consecutive years. The MP for South Derbyshire said: “In truth, I don’t know. That’s one of the interesting things for me to find out over the last eight weeks that I’ve been doing the job”’

If she had been the Minister for only a few hours, it would be understandable if she chose not to respond to this question. To proclaim that she does not know because she has only been in post for 8 weeks is deeply concerning. Heather Wheeler is clearly not suited to this post.