A homelessness charity has called for ‘emergency action’ over ‘out of control’ levels of rough sleeping in England.
Government data shows an estimated 3,898 people were sleeping rough in England in autumn last year, a 60% increase since the same period in 2021.
The figure is also a 30% rise on 2022, which represents the largest annual increase since 2015, and is more than double the number of people who were sleeping rough in 2010 when records began.
The director of social change at Homeless Link, Fiona Colley, described the statistics as ‘truly shameful’.
She said: ‘A range of long-term factors are behind this steep increase, including a severe shortage of affordable homes, a punitive welfare system and insufficient mental health support.’
The charity urged the chancellor to announce an emergency backdated inflationary uplift to homelessness funding in next week’s Spring Budget.
