Homeless Link responds to “encouraging” figures which show a fall in rough sleeping in London

31 Jan 2022 02:38 PM

New CHAIN rough sleeping figures for quarter 3 of 2021/22 show a 17% fall in people sleeping rough in the capital compared to same quarter in the previous year.

Released today (31/01/21), new CHAIN rough sleeping figures for London from October to December 2021 show the following:  

• 1314 people slept rough for the first time, a 17% reduction when compared to the same period in 2020.  
• Of these 1314 people, 75% slept rough for just one night, 22% slept rough for more than one night but did not go on to live on the streets and 3% were deemed to be living on the streets.  
• Overall, the number of people deemed to be living on the streets increased to 40, a 60% increase on the previous quarter but a 15% reduction compared to the same period in 2020 . 

Responding to the figures, Rick Henderson, CEO at Homeless Link the national membership charity for frontline homeless organisations, said: 

“Everyone deserves a safe place to live and the support they need to maintain it. Therefore, the continued drop in the number of people rough sleeping in the capital is greatly encouraging. The numbers are testament to the dedication of local authorities and homeless charities across London, who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic to provide stable accommodation and support to those who need it. 

“But, over 1,300 people being forced to sleep rough over three months is still far too high. At the same time, the rise in the number of people living on the streets shows more needs to be done to support those with the most complex needs.  

“With the much reported cost of living crisis starting to take hold and possibly pushing more people into homelessness in the near future, it’s vital that we keep pushing forward in the coming months to continue this heartening progress.”