The number of rough sleepers in London has risen by a fifth to hit a new record high during the first months of the Labour government.
A total of 4,780 people were living on the capital’s streets between July and September – a near 20 per cent rise on the same period last year.
Figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) show just under half of rough sleepers are UK nationals, with Romanians the next most common nationality (8.1 per cent) followed by Polish people (5.2 per cent).
The scale of the crisis poses major questions for London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is eight years into his term, as well as the new Labour government – which has now been in power for four months.
Out of all rough sleepers, 52 per cent of those assessed were experiencing mental health issues, with 35 per cent having a problem with drugs and 31 per cent dependent on alcohol.
Chain said the number of rough sleepers it recorded between July and September was the highest quarterly figure since their records began in 2009.
The total is an increase of 18 per cent from 4,068 people in the same quarter last year and up 13 per cent from 4,223 in the period between April and June this year.
The Budget, delivered on Wednesday, pledged that local authorities in England will be given £233 million of additional spending in 2025-26 to prevent homelessness, which the Treasury said will take total spending to £1 billion in 2025-26.
‘This will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping,’ the Budget document stated.
The Chain data showed that new rough sleepers – of which there were 2,343 – accounted for 49 per cent of all rough sleepers between July and September, while 14 per cent of those recorded during that period were classed as living on the streets.
Westminster – a hub for luxury shopping and late-night entertainment – had by far the highest number of rough sleepers.
The disturbing statistics come as Prince William spoke of his mission to end homelessness for a new ITV documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness.
The future king has set his sights on making rough sleeping, sofa surfing and temporary accommodation a thing of the past in his ambitious five-year initiative programme called Homewards, founded by the prince and the Royal Foundation.
In a preview clip, William describes how he took ‘inspiration’ and ‘guidance’ from his mother Princess Diana in his work to end homelessness and was also seen giving out hugs while visiting a homeless charity.
The heir to the throne said: ‘I’ve slowly tried to work out what I can bring to the role and platform that I have.
‘I have taken some inspiration and guidance from what my mother did, particularly with homelessness.’
In the short clip, posted to Instagram, William is seen speaking to former English footballer Farah Williams, who was herself once homeless – and others working with Homewards.
‘I don’t believe we should be living with homelessness in the 21st century,’ William added.
Rick Henderson, chief executive of Homeless Link, the national membership body for frontline homelessness services, said the latest rough sleeping figures for London ‘tell a story of a devastating number of people whose lives are damaged by rough sleeping, failed by systems and policies that are not fit for purpose’.
He added: ‘This shameful upward trend cannot be allowed to continue. The new Labour Government can and must act to put an end to rough sleeping.
‘The Budget pledged additional funding for homelessness and rough sleeping over the next financial year, but we urgently need clarity on how this and existing funding will be allocated.’
The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee recently launched an inquiry into the experiences of children and families in temporary accommodation – a form of homelessness – and consider how temporary housing could be improved.
Figures published in August showed a record high of more than 150,000 children living in temporary accommodation in England at the end of March.
A total of 117,450 households were in this situation at that point, some 74,530 of which were households with children.
Both are record highs, according to data published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Before the election, the last Tory government unveiled plans for controversial new laws that would have seen ‘nuisance’ rough sleepers arrested for the way they smell.
Under the proposed legislation, those deemed to be ‘nuisance’ rough sleepers could have been fined up to £2,500 or even jailed if they refuse orders to move on from a certain location.
The draft bill stated that rough sleepers might be considered a ‘nuisance’ if there is ‘excessive smell’, if they display ‘intimidating’ signs, or cause litter.
Ministers were said to be considering amending the bill following a backlash and it was never brought into law.
A spokeswoman for Mr Khan said: ‘No one should have to sleep rough on our streets and it’s shameful that numbers are rising across the country and in London.
‘The mayor is doing everything in his power to help as many Londoners off the streets and into more secure accommodation, which is why he’s delivered record funding to homelessness charities in the capital and quadrupled City Hall’s rough sleeping budget since 2016, supporting over 17,600 people off the streets to date.’
