‘Homelessness not a crime’: Oxford’s rough sleeping ban condemned

‘Oxford City Council has denied planning to “criminalize” rough sleeping in the university town, after 50,000 people signed a petition resisting plans to make “homelessness a crime.”

While homelessness in the UK has increased by 6 percent in the past year, Oxford City Council has announced plans to ban rough sleepers under a new Public Spaces Protection order.

According to the Oxfordshire Community Foundation, Oxford has more rough sleepers than anywhere else in the UK apart from central London.

The council has proposed bans on “anti-social activities” such as rough sleeping, public drinking, pigeon feeding, busking and begging in Oxford city centre.’

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