Labour has unveiled a plan aimed at eradicating rough sleeping, arguing that the UK is “too decent and too well off to put up with people sleeping on our streets”.

The number of people sleeping rough has nearly doubled in the last six years, government figures show, while the number of homeless households rose to 60,000 this year, according to John Healey, the shadow housing minister. Children, too, have been hit hard by the housing crisis, with more than 100,000 without a permanent home for Christmas, the Labour MP said.

Writing for The Independent, Mr Healey said Theresa May’s pledge to create “a country that works for everyone” means that she “should not tolerate this” rising level of deprivation.

Mr Healey said affordable housing supply and accessibility is the key to solving the problem and that he would double the capacity of a housing scheme reserved for people with a history of sleeping rough.

Labour’s plan would see 4,000 additional housing association homes earmarked for rough sleepers.

The party said it would rejuvenate the Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI), started by housing minister Sir George Young in the 1990s. The RSI, later consolidated into the Rough Sleepers Unit (RSU) by the New Labour government, used street outreach teams to find rough sleepers and refer them to 4,000 units of accommodation originally constructed for the programme.

In the 1990s this programme was considered highly effective at reducing rough sleeping.

The call came amid The Independent’s Christmas campaign to raise money for the charity Centrepoint’s Young and Homeless helpline.

“Many may remember the mass homelessness of the 1980s and 1990s, with tent cities in central London,” the shadow minister wrote.

“But in one of its biggest forgotten successes the last Labour government reduced rough sleeping by around three-quarters. We set out a comprehensive intervention plan, ground-breaking legislation, fresh investment, and a target to cut rough sleeping by two-thirds – delivered a year early.”

Mr Healey has challenged the Prime Minister to match Labour’s policy and also to meet and exceed her target of building affordable homes.

John Healey says Labour will rejuvenate the Rough Sleepers Initiative (PA)

He added: “Homelessness can and should be a cross-party commitment, with a new national will to solve the growing problem.”

The causes of homelessness Show all 7 1 /7 The causes of homelessness The causes of homelessness Family Breakdown Relationship breakdown, usually between young people and their parents or step-parents, is a major cause of youth homelessness. Around six in ten young people who come to Centrepoint say they had to leave home because of arguments, relationship breakdown or being told to leave. Many have experienced long-term problems at home, often involving violence, leaving them without the family support networks that most of us take for granted The causes of homelessness Complex needs Young people who come to Centrepoint face a range of different and complex problems. More than a third have a mental health issue, such as depression and anxiety, another third need to tackle issues with substance misuse. A similar proportion also need to improve their physical health. These problems often overlap, making it more difficult for young people to access help and increasing the chances of them becoming homeless Getty/iStock The causes of homelessness Deprivation Young people's chances of having to leave home are higher in areas of high deprivation and poor prospects for employment and education. Many of those who experience long spells of poverty can get into problem debt, which makes it harder for them to access housing Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Gang Crime Homeless young people are often affected by gang-related problems. In some cases, it becomes too dangerous to stay in their local area meaning they can end up homeless. One in six young people at Centrepoint have been involved in or affected by gang crime Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Exclusion From School Not being in education can make it much more difficult for young people to access help with problems at home or health problems. Missing out on formal education can also make it more difficult for them to move into work Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Leaving Care Almost a quarter of young people at Centrepoint have been in care. They often have little choice but to deal with the challenges and responsibilities of living independently at a young age. Traumas faced in their early lives make care leavers some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities, with higher chances of poor outcomes in education, employment and housing. Their additional needs mean they require a higher level of support to maintain their accommodation Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Refugees Around 13 per cent of young people at Centrepoint are refugees or have leave to remain, meaning it isn't safe to return home. This includes young people who come to the UK as unaccompanied minors, fleeing violence or persecution in their own country. After being granted asylum, young people sometimes find themselves with nowhere to go and can end up homeless Getty Images/iStockphoto

Projections released by the Office for Budget Responsibility in the Autumn Statement showed that government policies would slightly slow the rate of affordable housebuilding – despite housebuilding currently being nowhere near the rate required to meet Theresa May’s target of building a million homes by 2020.