The number of rough sleepers in England has risen by 26% – the biggest increase in homeless people sleeping on the streets in nearly a decade – in what a homelessness charity has branded a ‘collective failure’.
The latest rough sleeping figures, published today by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, showed that more than 3,000 people were estimated to be sleeping rough in England on any given night in November 2022.
This figure is a 26% increase when compared to 2021 – the biggest year-on-year percentage increase in rough sleeping since 2015.
The increase ends a run of four straight years of the statistics falling.
Rick Henderson, chief executive officer at Homeless Link, the national membership charity for frontline homelessness organisations, said: ‘This shocking rise in the number of people sleeping rough represents a massive, collective failure.
'People are being let down by systems that should protect them, forced onto the streets at the expense of their physical and mental health.’
The Government also published official data on statutory homelessness in England, which shows what the homelessness charity Crisis described as ‘worrying trends’ in other forms of homelessness.
Nearly 100,000 households were staying in temporary accommodation at the end of September 2022, including more than 125,000 children.
Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said: ‘These figures confirm the grim reality that the Westminster Government will fail to meet its commitment to end rough sleeping by next year.
‘The fact that homelessness is, once again, on the rise, frankly, shames our society and if alarms bells weren’t ringing across Government they should be now.’
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: ‘Preventing homelessness and rough sleeping is a government priority.
'That is why we are investing £2bn over three years to tackle the issue.
‘This includes £360m for councils to ensure families are not left without a roof over their heads and £500m to support rough sleepers, helping to deliver thousands of bed spaces.
'We are also protecting the most vulnerable, with £1,350 of direct support to millions of the most vulnerable this year.’
