Rough sleeping in London surges 21 per cent

The number of rough sleepers in London has jumped by 21 per cent in a year, new data funded by City Hall reveals.

A total of 3,570 people were recorded on the streets between October and December 2022, of whom 1,700 were first-time rough sleepers.

This severe surge in new rough sleepers, up 29 per cent on the same three-month period the previous year, means almost half of London's rough sleepers were on the streets for the first time.

London mayor Sadiq Khan called the surge "extremely concerning and further evidence of the devastating fallout from the cost of living crisis".

The figures recorded by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) show the highest concentration of rough sleepers in the City of London, Westminster and the South Bank.

Men made up the vast majority of rough sleepers, accounting for 83 per cent, about 48 per cent were UK nationals. Romanians were the second largest cohort, at 13.3 per cent, followed by Poles at 6.9 per cent.

London mayor Sadiq Khan called the figures "extremely concerning and further evidence of the devastating fallout from the cost of living crisis".

He said: "I'm doing everything in my power to help those who find themselves out on the streets.

"Since I became mayor, City Hall services have helped a record 13,500 people, with the vast majority not seen sleeping rough again, and I've quadrupled our rough sleeping budget."

He called for more support for Londoners from the government, adding: "It is high time ministers got a grip on the escalating food, energy and housing crises and restored the social security safety net which helps stop people becoming trapped in a cycle of homelessness."

Mr Khan also called for ministers to "end no fault eviction for private renters and invest in new council and genuinely affordable homes to help prevent more Londoners from becoming homeless in the first place."