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Rough sleeping decreased by 14% in London this summer
Less people were seen sleeping rough in the capital between July and September this year compared with 2019, despite a sharp rise in rough sleeping figures in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 3,444 people were seen sleeping rough by outreach workers between July and September this year, a 14% decrease from the 3,985 rough sleepers recorded during the same period in 2019, new figures from the Greater London Authority’s CHAIN database show.
The figure also marks a 19% decrease from the 4,227 people recorded as sleeping rough in London between April and June this year, when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were first being felt in the UK.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive at Crisis, said the figures “show that the initial influx of people forced onto the streets at the start of the pandemic has not escalated at the pace we feared”.
He credited the government’s Everyone In scheme, which saw thousands of rough sleepers placed in emergency accommodation such as hotels where they could safely self-isolate.
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Today’s figures show that 55% of those who were seen rough sleeping between July and September this year were sleeping rough for the first time.
The total number of new rough sleepers (1,901) was 8% lower than the 2,069 people seen sleeping rough for the first time between July and September last year.
A total of 336 people were deemed to be living on streets between July and September this year, down 23% from the 438 recorded in 2019, but up 27% from the 264 recorded between April and June this year.
The figures come as homelessness charities warn the lives of homeless people may be put at risk this winter as they face the double threat of colder temperatures and a second wave of COVID-19.
Mr Sparkes said: “It’s welcome to see rough sleeping numbers in London finally going in the right direction...
“However, the fact remains that 3,444 is a huge number of people to be sleeping on the streets of our capital at any time, let alone during a pandemic.
“That almost 2,000 of them are sleeping rough for the first time is alarming, with the risk of infection adding to the other dangers associated with not having somewhere safe to call home.
“As winter approaches, and with the second wave of the pandemic affecting much of the country, we could see many more people losing their homes as businesses and livelihoods are impacted.
“The government must act now to fund accommodation where people who would otherwise be sleeping rough can safely self-isolate, as they did at the beginning of the pandemic. The measures they took in March undoubtedly saved lives and must be repeated.
“Once housed in a safe space, we need to ensure people can access appropriate services to help them move on from homelessness and into settled housing. We must do everything we can to ensure the pandemic does not leave a grim legacy of widespread homelessness.”
Steve Douglas, chief executive at St Mungo’s, said: “The latest CHAIN figures reflect the success of Everyone In, showing a 19% reduction in those sleeping rough since the last quarter and a 14% decrease on this time last year. But as winter approaches, without the right interventions, we can expect the numbers to rise again.
“It is concerning that more than half of people sleeping rough in this quarter were new to the streets. But the fact that more than three-quarters of those new rough sleepers only spent one night outside is testament to the hard work that goes into helping people off the street as quickly as possible.”
