Government statistics have revealed that London has experienced the biggest rise in rough sleepers in England, with a 34% increase over a 12-month period. The report found that there were
an estimated 858 people sleeping rough in the capital on a single night in autumn 2022, compared to 640 the previous year. The data also showed that rough sleeping had increased across every region in England year-on-year since 2020, with 47% of rough sleepers on a single night in autumn 2022 located in London and the South East.
Westminster in London saw the biggest increase in rough sleeping across England, with 250 rough sleepers, up by 63 from 187 in 2021. Camden came second with a total of 90 rough sleepers in the 2022 report, and the City of London authority area also increased by 23 people to 43 rough sleepers. While the government acknowledged that the figures were below pre-pandemic levels, it recognized that more needed to be done to help those at risk of homelessness.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, described the figures as "extremely alarming" and further evidence of the devastating impact of the cost-of-living crisis. He called on the government to address the escalating food, energy, and housing crises and restore the social security safety net to prevent people from becoming trapped in a cycle of homelessness.
Rick Henderson, Chief Executive at Homeless Link, the national membership charity for frontline homelessness organizations, highlighted that the rise in rough sleepers in England of more than a quarter year-on-year since 2021 is a result of the cost-of-living crisis exacerbating long-standing drivers of homelessness. Henderson urged the government to take urgent action to keep homelessness services open by increasing funding in line with inflation.
In response to the rising levels of rough sleepers, the government has stated its intention to ban Section 21 no-fault evictions, which allow landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason. Legislation to this effect is expected to be brought forward this year. However, critics argue that more needs to be done to address the underlying issues driving homelessness, including the lack of affordable housing and inadequate support for those experiencing financial hardship. Photo by Philafrenzy, Wikimedia commons.