The number of people sleeping rough in England has increased for the seventh year in a row, new figures reveal.
Statistics from councils across the country show that 4,751 people were either counted or estimated to be sleeping rough in autumn 2017, a 15% rise on the previous year and more than double the number recorded five years ago.
The figures come from councils, most of which estimate the number based on intelligence from local charities and services, but some councils conduct a physical count of the number of rough sleepers on their streets on a single night.
The numbers do not include homeless people housed in hostels, shelters, or on friends’ sofas, which homeless charity Shelter put at around 300,000.
The north west recorded a 38% rise in the number of rough sleepers, the greatest increase of any region. Rough sleeping rose 14% on average across the country, and 18% in London.
Responding to the figures chief executive of Shelter Polly Neate, said: “These figures expose the worst pain inflicted by our housing crisis. We have failed as a society when so many people are forced to sleep rough. But they are not alone, the scourge of homelessness extends far beyond our streets. Hidden away in emergency B&B’s, temporary bedsits and on friend’s sofas are hundreds of thousands of other homeless people, including families with children.
“Most of these people are homeless simply because they couldn’t afford to live anywhere, a situation made worse by welfare cuts. While the intentions of the Homelessness Reduction Act are good, it cannot fix this crisis. To do that, the government must act to build a new generation of genuinely affordable homes to rent, as well as ensuring housing benefit is fit for purpose in the short-term.”
Howard Sinclair, Chief Executive of homeless charity St Mungo’s, commented:”Another huge rise in the number of men and women sleeping rough in England, for seven years in a row and 169% since 2010, is shocking and a scandal. While the manifesto commitment from the government on rough sleeping and the initial steps taken to achieve the target is welcome, the latest figures serve as a stark reminder of the need for urgency. Heather Wheeler, the new Minister for Housing and Homelessness needs to bring government departments together to find solutions to end the scandal of rough sleeping and homelessness.
“Services like StreetLink and No Second Night Out are helping people newly rough sleeping to move away from the streets quickly. Prevention is key and that’s where we hope the Homelessness Reduction Act will make more of an impact, alongside support for those at risk of returning to the streets, such as hostels and new initiatives like Housing First.
“Homelessness is not inevitable, it’s about helping people who face housing, health and other complicated problems at the time they need it. These numbers are snapshot counts and estimates but the most accurate we have to work with to inform local and national action. St Mungo’s currently supports 2,700 people who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness each night and we want to reduce the numbers of people sleeping rough by half in the areas we work in by 2021.”
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “It is truly a catastrophe that in a country as prosperous as this, more and more people are finding themselves forced to sleep in dangerous and freezing conditions.”
Labour’s shadow housing secretary, John Healey, branded the figures as “shameful” and “a terrible reminder of the consequences of a Conservative Government”. He continued: “The number of people sleeping rough fell under Labour but has more than doubled since 2010, and is up for the eighth year in a row under the Tories.
“This is a direct result of decisions made by Conservative Ministers: a steep drop in investment for affordable homes, crude cuts to housing benefit, reduced funding for homelessness services, and a refusal to help private renters.”