Number of rough sleepers hits record high

The number of rough sleepers in London has reached record levels, with 22 people sleeping rough for the first time each day, according to a new study.

Data collected by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), shows that there has been a ’50 per cent increase in the number of new people rough sleeping, compared to the same period last year’.

Among the people sleeping rough on the streets of the capital, 18 per cent are women and 49 per cent have a mental health need.

The overall figures show that 2,069 people were seen newly rough sleeping on London’s streets between July and September 2019.

This is over a third more than the previous quarter (April-June 2019) and compares with 1,382 new people seen between July and September 2018.

St Mungo’s, a leading homeless charity, has called it a ‘national scandal’.

Chief Executive, Howard Sinclair said: ‘There is a rough sleeping crisis on our streets, not just in London, but across the country. This is a national scandal.

‘To learn that more than 20 people slept rough for the first time each night in London over the summer, brings the scale of the issue into sharp focus.

‘That’s more people alone and on the streets for the first time, exposed to dangers including violence, abuse and serious ill health.

‘These new figures show the uphill battle that we and other charities are facing.

‘Around half are non-UK nationals and are unlikely to have access to benefits, housing or healthcare so are left desperate and destitute.’

The charity called on the government to tackle the ‘the systemic causes of homelessness’.

Mr Sinclair added: ‘Put back the £1bn a year that’s been cut from homelessness services over the last decade, increase housing benefit so it covers the cost of rent, fund specialist housing support for non-UK nationals sleeping rough and end this scandal of death and destitution.’

It comes after earlier this month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released data revealing that 726 people died whilst sleeping rough or in emergency accommodation last year.

This is a 22% increase on the figure of 597 people who died in 2017 and the highest year to year increase since the ONS time series began.

The mean age of death was 45 for men, and 43 for women.