There has been a 165% increase in rough sleepers after the Tories took over power in 2010, official figures revealed today – but homeless charities claim the number is much higher.

Local authorities estimated around 4,677 people slept rough on a single night last autumn, according to data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

However, homeless charities have slammed the government for not being open about the ‘full size of the problem’ and not including ‘hidden homeless people’ in unsafe accommodations.

The number of homeless people in the UK has increased 165% in eight years (Picture: AFP)

Centrepoint said their research shows over 100,000 16-24 year olds ‘asked their council for help last year because they were homeless or at risk’.


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The government numbers, published today, were up 2,909 people from 2010, when the total recorded on a single night in England was 1,768, but marked the first decrease of the decade, with a 2% (74 people) drop since 2017.



Despite the fall across England, London saw a 13% increase with 1,283 sleeping on the streets.

Head of Public Affairs at Centrepoint Paul Noblet said: ‘These figures are only the tip of a much larger iceberg as they only attempt to count the number of people sleeping rough on one night of the year.

‘We know that for every rough sleeper on our street, there are many more hidden homeless people who are sofa-surfing, staying in unsafe or unsuitable acoommodation or putting themselves in desperate situations to find a bed for the night.

People sleeping rough in England from 2010 to 2018 (Picture: PA Graphics)

People sleeping rough in London from 2010 to 2018 (Picture: PA Graphics)

‘Centrepoint research shows over 100,000 16-24 year olds asked their council for help last year because they were homeless or at risk.

‘If the government is serious about breaking the cycle of homelessness it must start by being open with the public and MPs about the full size of the problem, and then provide adequate funding for solutions such as the Homelessness Reduction Act.’

Other charities echoed Centrepoint, with Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes saying the scale of rough sleeping is a ‘damning reflection on our society’ as he urged the government to tackle the root causes.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: ‘The combination of spiralling rents, a faulty benefits system and lack of social housing means the number of people forced to sleep rough has risen dramatically since 2010.

Centrepoint research showed over 100,000 16-24 year olds asked their council for help last year because they were homeless or at risk (Picture: Getty Images)

‘We welcome many of the things which the Government has been doing to seek to improve services for rough sleepers – and numbers do now seem to be stabilising, which is a rare piece of good news – but without fundamental action to tackle the root causes of homelessness these measures will only achieve so much.’

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Local authorities warned that preventing rough sleeping is ‘becoming increasingly difficult’, citing a homelessness services funding gap of more than £100 million in 2019/20.

Local Government Association’s housing spokesman Martin Tett said: ‘Proper resourcing of local government funding is essential if we are going to end homelessness.’

The data came as the capital felt temperatures as low as -6.4°C overnight, and the Met Office warned temperatures could remain below freezing across the country during the small hours into next week.

The data came as Met Office warned temperatures could remain below freezing across the country during the small hours into next week (Picture: Getty Images)

Chartered Institute of Housing deputy chief executive Gavin Smart said: ‘It is frankly unacceptable that thousands of people are being forced to sleep on our streets – and the fact that this number has soared by 165 per cent since 2010 should shame us all.



‘These statistics are a stark reminder of the suffering at the very sharpest end of our national housing crisis. And we must remember that they are partly based on estimates, so the true figure could be even higher.

‘We must take action now. The government’s rough sleeping strategy rightly recognises this and aims to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and end it by 2027 – this is achievable, but only with the right level of investment and all of us pulling out all the stops to end homelessness.

‘We believe that a chronic shortage of affordable homes combined with the welfare reforms introduced since 2012 has created a toxic mix. To truly get to the root of the problem, the government must invest in more genuinely affordable housing as well as reviewing the impact of welfare reforms like the benefit cap, universal credit and the housing benefit freeze for private renters.’

James Brokenshire MP said he was ‘pleased’ to see that the numbers had fallen for the first time in eight years (Picture: AFP)

Communities Secretary Rt James Brokenshire MP said he was ‘pleased’ to see that the numbers had fallen for the first time in eight years.

He added: ‘I am pleased to see our strategy to end rough sleeping, backed by a record investment of £100 million, is starting to have an effect and there are particularly encouraging results in those areas funded by our Rough Sleeping Initiative where numbers have fallen by almost a quarter.

‘But while these figures are undoubtedly a step in the right direction, I do not underestimate the task ahead in achieving our ambition of eliminating rough sleeping altogether by 2027. Councils have used the new funding to create an additional 1,750 beds and 500 rough sleeping support staff, who are working tirelessly to support people off the streets and into recovery.


‘I am clear we need to go further than ever before to build upon today’s results and sustain momentum as we move towards ending rough sleeping.’

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