Calay News
According to a database funded by the London Council, during the period from April to June 2023, 3,272 people were recorded sleeping on the streets, which represents an increase of 9% over the same period of the previous year. The vast majority of these people are men, and half are British.
The report also revealed that 49% of these homeless people had never been seen on the street before this period, indicating that the situation is getting worse for many vulnerable people. In addition, 13% of the 3,272 people identified were found to live permanently in the open, facing the reality of a lack of truly affordable housing, inflation, poverty, and excessively high rents in London.
The British government had promised to eradicate homelessness on the streets by 2024, but this promise appears to be “completely out of reach,” according to Rick Henderson of the non-profit organization Homeless Link. The lack of affordable housing, rising rents, and the lack of success in homeless assistance services are all contributing to making this promise increasingly difficult to keep.
This situation is particularly worrying as, for the first time since 2017, the number of homeless people increased in England during 2022 compared to the previous year, according to an annual census released earlier this year. The situation of homelessness in London and across the country requires urgent attention and effective solutions to address the housing crisis and provide adequate support to those in situations of extreme vulnerability.
