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Eight out of 10 rough sleepers who died last year had a mental health problem, charity reveals
Eight out of 10 rough sleepers who died last year had a mental health problem, new research from homelessness charity St Mungo’s has revealed.
This represents a dramatic rise from 2010 where three in 10 rough sleepers who died had a mental health problem.
The charity has written to the prime minister today to call for urgent action to prevent more people dying on the streets.
St Mungo’s wants concrete assurances that the government’s new rough sleeping strategy will deliver investment in specialist mental health services for people sleeping rough.
Since 2010 the number of people sleeping rough in England has risen by 169%, according to official figures. Over that time the number of people dying on the streets has also increased.
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In London, where the most consistent data is recorded, at least 158 rough sleepers died over that period – an average of one death every fortnight. Nine in ten needed support for mental health, drug or alcohol problems.
St Mungo’s also surveyed street outreach services across England. They found 64% of outreach services said access to emergency accommodation for rough sleepers has got harder compared to five years ago and 70% said access to mental health services for rough sleepers had also got harder over the past five years.
Only 21% said their outreach service had seen a real terms increase in funding in the past five years.
Whilst 63% of respondents were aware of someone who had died while sleeping rough in the past year, only 23% said they were aware of a review carried out into the death.
Howard Sinclair, chief executive of St Mungo’s, said: “This is nothing short of a national scandal. These deaths are premature and entirely preventable.
“Rough sleeping has been rising dramatically since 2010 and we are pleased the government is finally recognising and responding to increasing need.
“The forthcoming strategy presents a vital opportunity to make sure no one else dies as a result of sleeping rough.
“We are calling on the prime minister to follow through on her commitment to end rough sleeping by making sure all parts of the public sector play their part, especially the health, justice and welfare systems.
“We also know that there are things the government can do today to help stop this scandal, including reviews into deaths, removing the threat of funding reform for homeless hostels and quicker decision making around immigration for people stuck on the streets.”
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Nobody should ever have to sleep rough and every death on our streets is one too many.
“We are determined that those living on the streets, as well as people at risk, get the help they need now. Only earlier this month we announced a £30m funding package to help the worst affected councils boost the immediate support they are able to offer.
“In total, we are investing more than £1.2bn to tackle all forms of homelessness and are working with charities, including St Mungo’s, who sit on the Secretary of State’s Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel on our forthcoming strategy that will help us end rough sleeping altogether by 2027.”
