The London boroughs with the most rough sleepers as number hits post-pandemic high
More people were sleeping rough on the streets of London last autumn, new estimates show. The Government's 'Everyone In' campaign aimed to eliminate homelessness and provided thousands of people with accommodation during the coronavirus pandemic.
But numbers across England have soared following the pandemic, rising for the third successive year, a situation branded "unacceptable" by homelessness charities. Each year the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government conducts a national snapshot survey of rough sleeping on a specific night in autumn.
The results, published this week, found there were 1,318 people sleeping rough in London, more than the year before, when there were 1,132 rough sleepers. This was also higher than in 2021 when the Government's 'Everyone In' programme was implemented, when there were 640.
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The borough with the most rough sleepers was Westminster, with 388 people sleeping rough. This figure was up from 187 in 2021. Westminster was followed by Camden (132) and the City of London (86).
Nationally, the number of people estimated to be sleeping rough rose by 20 per cent last year to 4,667. This is the second-highest level on record, and almost twice the total in 2021.
The count includes people sleeping outside, but does not cover sofa surfers, those in hostels or shelters, or people in recreational or traveller sites, and figures are generally considered to be an undercount of the true number. Matt Downie, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, said the figures "paint a desperate picture", with thousands "at significant risk of violence, extreme weather and even premature death".
He said: "It's an emergency and it must spur action. The Westminster Government has a once in a generation opportunity to deliver transformative change through its upcoming strategy to end homelessness." He said ministers must commit to building more social homes and investing in housing benefit.
Nationally, the number of women sleeping rough has increased by 20 per cent since last year, from 568 to 680, including 186 women in London.
Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: "It is unacceptable that homelessness continues to rocket when the Government has the power to end it entirely. Homelessness has a simple solution – a safe, secure social rent home gives everyone the chance to succeed, but there's nowhere near enough."
She continued: "If the Government is serious about tackling the housing emergency, we must see ambitious investment in social housing in June's Spending Review. Investing in 90,000 social rent homes a year for 10 years would give families a fighting chance and end homelessness for good."
Minister for homelessness Rushanara Ali said the figures show the "devastating impact" of the housing crisis the Government inherited. She explained: "We're taking determined action to turn the tide and that's why this week this Government stepped in to double our emergency homelessness funding to £60 million as an immediate support for councils to keep people in their homes."
She added: "This comes alongside the £1 billion we have already committed this year to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including the largest ever investment in preventative services, so we can put in place long-lasting solutions, not just sticking plasters, to end this crisis."
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