Cuts to homeless services will cost more long-term, charity claims

A leading homeless charity is urging the government to bring an end to cuts in funding for homeless services.

The Simon Communities claim the recession is putting more people at risk of homelessness, and that homeless services are at breaking point.

In its pre-budget submission, they said the commitment to end long-term homelessness by 2016 will fail if the sector receives more cuts in the budget.

"We all acknowledge that we're in a very difficult financial situation and difficult choices have to be made … we would argue that they have to be the right choices," said Niamh Randall, Simon's head of Policy and Communications.

"Sometimes it's a case of looking to the linger-term vision. That if these choices are made in relation to cutting the homeless budget, it'll actually cost more in the longer term."