The importance of this is to reduce welfare spending without penalising already struggling families, private landlords will not be living in poverty and yet the government continues to fuel there income from the pockets of the tax payer

The government have said an affordable home is up to £250k outside London and £450k inside but even with a reduction of 20% it it still 5 or 6 times an average family annual income. It's important so that first time buyers can get on the ladder.

To plead to the Council to open its empty buildings to the homeless in winter. I cannot imagine sleeping rough in driving, biting winds, snow, ice and winter rain. It's inhumane. It's also inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings.

To plead to the Council to open its empty buildings to the homeless in winter. I cannot imagine sleeping rough in driving, biting winds, snow, ice and winter rain. It's inhumane. It's also inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings.

I have felt compelled to start this petition since meeting a homeless lad in our local train station one night, there is a piano set up at the station, I've no idea why, probably for us to entertain ourselves while we wait for yet another delayed or missing train, anyhow, this young homeless lad, his bedding wrapped around his shoulders sat at the piano and played like a professional pianist, he moved me to tears...sadly it was reported recently that the lad had passed away on the street where he had gone to sleep. Homelessness can happen to anyone at any given time, it can come from a variety of situations, young people leaving home because of abuse/familial breakdown, being thrown out, relationships breaking down, bereavement, domestic violence, job loss, rent arrears or a lot of the time just because of bad/greedy landlords. According to statistics from the Department for Communities and Local Governments Rough Sleeping in England has risen by 55% between 2010-14 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407030/Rough_Sleeping_Statistics_England_-_Autumn_2014.pdf I'm sure you will agree with me that this is unacceptable and will see the urgency to act immediately to remedy this shameful situation otherwise how many more lives will be lost as the winter months fast approach? Please join me in telling David Cameron and the Conservative Government that instead of passing laws to criminalise homelessness they should be treating this social ill as the moral crisis it is, open up empty buildings this winter to accommodate homeless people.

To plead to the Council to open its empty buildings to the homeless in winter. I cannot imagine sleeping rough in driving, biting winds, snow, ice and winter rain. It's inhumane. It's also inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings.

The amount of homeless people on Newcastle's streets has risen visibly and dramatically, particularly in the last year. When temperatures in the city inevitably reach freezing this winter, I want to be able to offer them a shelter in unused and empty buildings. Please do your bit now and sign this petition.

To plead to the Council to open its empty buildings to the homeless in winter. I cannot imagine sleeping rough in driving, biting winds, snow, ice and winter rain. It's inhumane. It's also inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings.

Coventry has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country, more than the national average. Despite this, we have the space that could house every homeless person in Coventry but bureaucracy stops the council doing just this!! It's inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings. Coventry City Council - please open your empty buildings to the homeless in winter. Just a few years ago, there were fewer than 10 rough sleepers in Coventry on an average per night. If someone lives and works in the city, there's a good chance that they will see that many just on the way home now. Coventry City Council, you need to address the root causes of homelessness, however in the meantime, let's give rough sleepers some shelter at least over the frigid winter months.

To plead to the Council to open its empty buildings to the homeless in winter. I cannot imagine sleeping rough in driving, biting winds, snow, ice and winter rain. It's inhumane. It's also inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings.

To plead to the Council to open its empty buildings to the homeless in winter. I cannot imagine sleeping rough in driving, biting winds, snow, ice and winter rain. It's inhumane. It's also inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings.

As we are expecting our worst winter yet, the medical implications of sleeping on the streets during this time will result hypothermia and may even result in death.