Rough sleeping in London up 29% amid urgent calls for action (2024)

Rough sleeping in London has now reached "epidemic" proportions, one homelessness charity warned. Image: Alisdare Hickson / Flickr

The number of people sleeping rough on London’s streets has continued to accelerate, rising 29% in the space of just a year.

A total of 4,223 people were recorded as sleeping rough between April and June this year, the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) found.

The figures, which cover the last full quarter up to the July general election, show the number of people on the English capital’s streets rose 33% in the past five years despite promises from the Conservatives to end rough sleeping.

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Frontline homelessness charities called on the Labour government to take urgent action to prevent rising rough sleeping, including appointing a homelessness minister and setting up a promised cross-government unit to tackle the issue.

Matt Downie, chief executive at Crisis, said: “It’s shameful that thousands of people are being forced to bed down on the capital’s streets – moving between night buses, or staying awake in doorways and 24-hour cafes. No one should have to face this level of danger. This bleak reality for over 4,000 people must change.​

“We urgently need a unit for ending homelessness to be established, backed by the prime minister and engaging with regional mayors, to deliver a strategy on tackling homelessness. This would provide overdue co-ordination across government to bring us closer to a future free from homelessness. We stand ready to work with the government to achieve this.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has vowed to end rough sleeping by 2030 – a target the Big Issue’s Blueprint for Change has called to be extended to the rest of the country.

But huge rises in the Chain statistics show just how far away that ambition is.

As well as the 29% total rise in rough sleepers across London, there was a 20% increase in the number of people sleeping rough for the first time compared to the same period last year.

A total of 624 people were deemed to be living on the streets long-term, up 52% in a year.

A further 1,740 were found by outreach teams to be intermittently rough sleeping – that’s 35% higher than last year.

Youth homelessness charity Centrepoint’s Dr Tom Kerridge described a 36% rise in the number of young people aged under 25 as “really worrying”.

Jo Carter, chief executive of Glass Door Homeless Charity, said efforts to prevent the number of renters from losing their homes is needed to stop people ending up on London’s streets.

“The latest Chain report should be a clear sign that action is needed. Far too many people continue to be left without a safe and secure home, and this issue will not get better on its own,” said Carter.

“We are encouraged by the new government’s Renters’ Rights Bill proposed in the King’s Speech. Our message to the government is this: show that you are serious about tackling homelessness. Push the bill forward as a top priority, ban no-fault evictions and limit rent increases without any delays or loopholes.

“It’s in your power to give tenants more security in their homes and slow down the flow of people from the private rented sector into homelessness.”

A damning report from the National Audit Office released last week, which did not focus on rough sleeping, warned wider homelessness is set to rise across England in the months ahead.

The situation has now reached “epidemic” proportions.

Rick Henderson, chief executive at Homeless Link, the national membership body for frontline homelessness services, said: “Whether it’s rough sleeping, temporary accommodation or sofa surfing, England faces a homelessness epidemic. But we know it can be solved through government, homelessness and community organisation collaboration, drawing on sector expertise; we will be making sure our policy asks are heard.”

Labour is, so far, yet to confirm which minister will lead on the homelessness brief.

Emma Haddad, St Mungo’s chief executive, said the charity is looking forward to seeing who will lead “the government’s efforts in bringing their commitment to ending homelessness to life”.

Nick Redmore, director of The Salvation Army’s homeless services, said: “Bringing an end to homelessness can be the Labour government’s legacy. We look forward to working with the new government to ensure everyone has a home but in order to do this homelessness services need to be properly funded.

“The government must also deliver a sustained investment and increase in housing stock and especially social housing, to meet the needs of the growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness.”

A government spokesperson said: “Tackling homelessness and rough-sleeping means addressing the deep-rooted issues that cause it.

“That is why we will develop a cross-government strategy so we can work with mayors and councils, including those in London, to get us back on track to ending homelessness for good.”

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