What was the Vagrancy Act?

The Vagrancy Act was a law that made it a criminal offence to sleep rough or beg in England and Wales. Introduced in 1824, it remained in force for more than 200 years before finally being repealed in June 2026, following years of campaigning by homelessness charities, people with lived experience and organisations across the sector.

For centuries, the Act allowed people experiencing homelessness to be treated as criminals simply because they had nowhere safe to live. Rather than addressing the causes of homelessness, it often pushed people away from city centres and the support services that could help them rebuild their lives.

Why did the Vagrancy Act exist?

The Act was introduced after homelessness rose in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars and the social effects of the Industrial Revolution.

• After the wars, many soldiers returned home with nowhere to live. With little support available, many were forced to sleep rough or beg to survive. Instead of providing help, the Government introduced laws that criminalised them. It was even illegal to beg by showing the injuries they had suffered while serving their country.
• During the Industrial Revolution, huge numbers of people moved from rural rural communities to towns and cities in search of work. Housing failed to keep pace with this rapid population growth, leaving many people without a home and vulnerable to homelessness.

Rather than responding with housing or support, the Vagrancy Act focused on removing homelessness from public view.

Leaving the Vagrancy Act in the past

After more than 200 years, 78 UK governments and seven monarchs, the Vagrancy Act was finally repealed on 29 June 2026.

Its repeal marks an important step towards a more compassionate response to homelessness. Instead of criminalising people for sleeping rough or begging, the focus can now be on preventing homelessness, helping people access stable housing and providing the support they need to rebuild their lives.

Repealing the Act alone will not end homelessness. But it removes an outdated law that punished people for their circumstances rather than addressing the reasons they became homeless in the first place. Real change means investing in outreach, safe accommodation, mental health support, addiction services and the long-term housing people need to leave homelessness behind for good.

No one is a criminal because they don’t have a home. Homelessness is a failure of systems and society, not of the individual.