Intense data reveals the gravity of London's pressing homelessness predicament, branded as abhorrent by experts

In a stark revelation, a new report published by the Combined Homelessness and Housing Information Network (CHAIN) has highlighted the escalating homelessness crisis in London. The report, which details the number of rough sleepers in the city, has painted a grim picture, with more than 10,000 people identified as sleeping rough over the past year.

The borough of Westminster, known for its iconic landmarks, has the highest number of rough sleepers in London. A disheartening 3,272 people were found to be sleeping rough on the streets of Westminster between April and June 2023 alone. This figure represents a 12% increase in new rough sleepers in London during the same period.

Moreover, the report reveals a 12% increase in intermittent rough sleepers, with more than a third of the total number of rough sleepers classified as such. This means that these individuals are not consistently homeless but are at risk of becoming so due to various factors such as financial instability and insecure housing.

Alicia Walker, head of policy, research, and campaign at youth homeless charity Centrepoint, has criticized the actions taken since the 2019 promise to end rough sleeping, stating that they are more than 'sporadic policy announcements and piecemeal funding'. She further added that the little support put in place to help vulnerable households over the last year has not reached enough young people.

The report also sheds light on the strain on temporary accommodation in England. Early 2023 was the worst period on record for homelessness, with almost 80,000 households contacting their council for help, and 105,000 households living in temporary accommodation in England. London now has more than 60,000 homelessness households living in temporary accommodation, a figure that continues to rise.

Providers working in homelessness are under huge pressure due to inflation, increased demand, and long-term cuts to local authority budgets. A survey conducted among these providers revealed that 92% are concerned that the cost of living will affect their ability to maintain service and support standards. Alicia Walker stated that the cost of living is still a struggle for young people, despite falling inflation.

The government is being called upon to ring-fence and increase long-term revenue funding for supported housing. The allocated funding for supported housing in 2010 was £1.6bn per year in England. However, the report suggests that this funding has not been sufficient to address the growing homelessness crisis.

It is important to note that this is the largest figure over the past decade, not affected by the Covid pandemic. This underscores the ongoing and worsening nature of the homelessness crisis in London.

The search results do not provide information about which organization conducted the research project to record homeless people in London. However, the findings of the report serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for action to address the rising homelessness crisis in the city.