You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Homeless deaths in England and Wales hit record high
Almost 800 people died while homeless in England and Wales last year, the highest number since records began in 2013.
A total of 778 deaths of homeless people were estimated to have occurred in 2019, an increase of 7.2% from the 726 estimated deaths in 2018, making the fifth year in a row that this number has risen.
Almost two in five (37.1%) of the deaths recorded were a result of drug poisoning, while 11.8% were a result of suicide.
The majority of the deaths in 2019 were among men, who accounted for 687 deaths (88.3%).
Among homeless people, the mean age at death was 45.9 for men and 43.4 for women. This can be compared to a mean age of death among the general population of 76.1 for men and 80.9 for women.
READ MORE
London, where 144 people (18.5%) are believed to have died, had the highest number of deaths, followed by the North West, where 126 people (16.2%) are believed to have died.
Deaths of homeless people are recording using the death registration records held by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), while statistical modelling is used to identify the most likely number of additional registrations not identified as homeless people.
The statistics mainly include people sleeping rough or using emergency accommodation such as homeless shelters at or around the time of death.
It comes as councils in London warn that homelessness pressures in the capital have reached their worst-ever level, with more than 700 people believed to be sleeping rough and around 3,000 currently in emergency accommodation.
Commenting on the figures, Steve Douglas, chief executive of St Mungo’s, said: “It is so very important to remember that behind these statistics are people and that every single one of these deaths is a tragedy.
“Our sympathies go out to everyone who has been affected by them. Particularly heartbreaking are the number of people who have taken their own lives.
“What we see in this data, although deeply concerning, is sadly not a surprise to us. It is a stark reminder how dangerous homelessness can be. People are not just living on our streets, they are dying on them.
“We know that those who are homeless face many different challenges, and it is so important that both the housing and the support that is needed, is prioritised.”
Update: at 09.13am, 18.12.20
The original version of this story incorrectly said two thirds of deaths were related to drug poisoning. It has now been corrected to say almost two in five deaths were a result of drug poisoning.
Sign up for our Council Focus newsletter
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
