This morning stats were released showing the number of people who were seen sleeping rough in London, from April to June this year (2022).
The key stats are:
– In total, 2,998 people were seen sleeping rough in London from April to June this year. This is a 16% increase compared to the same period last year (2,589)
– 7% of rough sleepers in London were young people in April to June this year.
– 210 young people aged 16 – 25 were seen sleeping rough in London from April to June 2022.
– The number of young people who were sleeping rough in London has decreased by 6%, compared to the same period last year, when 223 were seen (April to June 2021).
Balbir Kaur Chatrik, Director of Policy at Centrepoint, said:
“While there’s a worrying trend developing on overall rough sleeping numbers in London, it’s good to see that the number of young people sleeping rough has continued to fall from the height of the pandemic. That said the 210 young people counted is still far too high and each number represents a young life literally put at risk for want of a safe place to stay.
“Worse still, those few hundred seen sleeping rough in recent months are just the tip of the iceberg. Every day we receive calls to our Helpline from young people trapped in unstable or dangerous situations or reliant on family and friends to avoid spending a night on the streets.
“The Mayor is already making the right kind of investment in age-appropriate accommodation and support towards helping end youth homelessness – but local authorities and charities cannot end this crisis alone, particularly as the cost-of-living crisis looks set to deepen. As we look ahead to a winter of rising prices and higher bills, it’s vital the government takes steps as soon as possible to not only help people avoid becoming homeless but to also ensure those who do, have a safe place to stay.”
