LABOUR has pledged a new £100 million national fund for emergency shelters to help every rough sleeper in freezing temperatures.

Emergency accommodation will be available in every area whenever temperatures fall below zero under the plans announced yesterday,  funded through a second-homes levy.

Shadow housing secretary John Healy said it "beggars belief" that parts of the country have little or no shelter for those sleeping on the streets in extreme cold weather.

"To our national shame, thousands of people will sleep rough on park benches and shop doorways this winter," he said.

"Rough sleeping has risen every year since 2010 as a direct result of decisions made by Conservative ministers and the problem is getting worse. Labour's plan will save lives and needs to be put in place now."

As part of plans to end rough sleeping within the first term of the next Labour government, the party vows to give every rough sleeper a roof over their head and tackle the root causes of rising homelessness, including ending the freeze on benefits and building a million low-cost homes.
 
Some 484 homeless people have died on the streets since October last year and one in four services had to turn rough sleepers away.